MyKnet.org

Philipp ... Often when a suicide occurs and the person's c-box is being used as a memorial, the family usually requests that the page be suspended immediately especially if other young people are writing that they will be seeing them soon. Every suicide scares everyone because too often we witness "sets" of suicides where one friend goes first and then shortly afterwards there are other friends or people who know this person either kill themselves or attempt to commit suicide.

That is why communities have these crisis teams who quickly mobilize and begin patrolling the community and putting at-risk individuals under 24 hour watch. Often, crisis teams from other First Nations travel over to the community where the suicide occurred to provide back up support for the local team.

A couple of years ago a good friend and former co-worker of K-Net killed herself here in Sioux Lookout. This person was well liked and her family is a very well-respected and well-liked couple. Their first reaction to this person's c-box was to take it down but their other daughter then requested that we put it back up so people could leave messages to the family and share their own grief. After a couple of weeks, we then got the call from the daughter requesting that we suspend the page. I remember this experience because for the past two years there has been a memorial service and celebration of this young person's life.

Brian