Former and current residents of Hooper Bay and neighboring villages, Chevak and Scammon Bay, stood together on stage at the Alaska Federation of Natives conference on Friday, October 16, 2015, to show support for communities affected by suicide.
Former Hooper Bay resident Doreen Lacy, second from left, said the moment was in response to the four suicides in Hooper Bay that occurred in a 16-day period. While Hooper Bay has received attention in the wake of those tragedies, Lacy said it's a situation that Native people are confronted with across the state.
"My heart just goes out for any family that's had to lose a loved one and be scratching their heads as to why and what could they have done," she said. "And these cluster suicides are very scary, because then you walk on eggshells and when the phone rings you worry that it's another one of the young people that have taken their lives."
Contessa Chayalkun, far right, who also spoke Friday, agreed. "They shouldn't stand alone in their hurt and their time of pain. I wanted to make note of that."
Chayalkun hopes that speaking to one another can help, but also hopes that delegates can take it a step further by remembering how positive behaviors can influence others and make a difference. "Just a simple gesture as a hug," she said. "Simple as that."