Suicide and North American Indians

This paper considers suicide from the perspective of a particular tribal group of North American Indians-the Ojibwa (also known as the Chippewa in the U.S.). Through an exploration of the erosion and loss of the central cultural value of pimadaziwin (health, well-being, and longevity for self and family), an understanding of self-destructive thoughts and behaviors, culminating in suicide or nissitise, is presented. Implications for cross-cultural social work practice founded on intervention as social construction are offered.