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From the Aboriginal Youth Suicide Prevention Walk 2006 web site at http://www.yspw.org

The Youth Suicide Prevention Walk will cross Canada started March 14, 2006 in Sydney Cape Breton, and will bring our people in Eastern, Central, and Western Canada together in the shared vision of addressing and ending youth suicide.

These are some of the things we want to accomplish in 2006:

• To continue to remind the Government of Canada about the high rate of suicide within Canada's Aboriginal communities, and the need for ongoing prevention funding and programs. We hope the new Government will hear our voices, and honour committments made to us in 2005.
• To convince the Government to create a Youth Crisis Treatment Facility for those at risk for suicide. A facility which provides access to short and long-term counselling, treatment, and support. A facility which will educate our communities on how to deal with the issues around suicide. We hope that the government will recognize the dire need for such a facility with trained Staff, Elders, and a Crisis Response Team.
• To create a National "Aboriginal, Inuit and Youth Suicide Prevention Awareness Day" which would be recognised on calendars, and with a walk in communities across Canada to raise awareness, and funds for local suicide prevention, much like the Terry Fox Day.
• To make Tribal Journeys so that we can visit and raise awareness in those communities that we may have missed on our Walks, and to help youth who are struggling with suicide issues.
• We feel that if youth partake in the walk, Tribal Journeys and other ceremonies, such as sweats, it will help them to deal with their problems in a safe, cultural environment. We plan to create a place where our youth can come and learn about their culture and the importance of ceremonies.
• To reach out across Canada, and across cultures and borders to recognize how suicide impacts all indigenous people and all youth, and work globally towards prevention and building hope and esteem within our youth.