Native H.O.P.E.
Eve’s Fund Co-Sponsors Native H.O.P.E. Conferences
“Once you choose hope, anything’s possible” ~ Christopher Reeve
“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow” ~ Albert Einstein
Since 2008, Eve’s Fund has co-sponsored an annual suicide prevention program, known as H.O.P.E.(Helping Our People Endure), for young Native students. We have done this in partnership with Native Pride, a non-profit organization which offers culture-based programs that focus on prevention, wellness and leadership development. The H.O.P.E. program uses Native traditions and modern psychological measures to forge a connection between the youth and community resources.
The suicide rate for Native American youth is three times the national average and suicide is the second leading cause of death in young Native people ages 5-24 years old.
Native H.O.P.E. is a peer–counseling (youth helping youth) curriculum that focuses on suicide prevention and related risk factors such as substance abuse, violence, trauma and depression. This strengths-based approach, developed by Clayton Small, Ph.D., incorporates culture, spirituality, and humor and provides an awareness and education of the warning signs of suicide.
Although talking about suicide is taboo for many Indians, Dr. Small encourages students “to break the code of silence” so that young people in distress can reach out for help. In addition, the participants develop a strategic action plan of ongoing “booster” prevention activities. For more information about Dr. Small’s program, click here.
