Idaho State Journal from Pocatello, Idaho • Page 6

Stale Journal. Pocatrllo Thursday. April 13. 1967--7 What Drives Youthful Indians To Final Act of Destruction? By LARRY BACON Journal Staff Writer FORT HALL--Seventeen-year- old Darrell Evening, a Fort Ha" Indian, choked to death at the end of a makeshift rope Sunday afternoon, March 27, in the Ban nock County Jail. Two other prisoners sharing the cell calmly ate their luncf as they watched.

They later told Bannock County Sheriff Hank Parker they did'n't interfere because they thought they woulc "get into trouble." This tragic incident and many others like it have triggered an all-out campaign by Bureau ol Indian Affairs officials to stem an alarming increase suicides among the Indians of the Forl Hall Reservation. Spurred to action by a rash of suicides and suicide attempts last summer, bureau officials began compiling statistics. They found that among 2,765 Indians living in this area, the average suicide rate for the last six years is 6.7 times the national average of 10.8 suicides per 100,000 persons. In 1986. the rate was 13.4 times the national average.

12 Took Own Lives The records showed that between 1960 and 1966. 12 persons died by their own hand. There were 22 unsuccessful suicide attempts reported during the six years. Research proved the problem is getting worse. In 1965, there were two suicides and five attempts.

Last year, four Indians killed themselves, and 11 made attempts. Across the nation, March anc April are the most popular months for suicides. This year is no exception. Last month, the first three Indians of the year killed themselves. Already this year, there have been 11 attempts.

Most persons who attempt suicide don't do it without warning. Experts say behavior patterns and attitudes change drastically Warning signals of a potential suicide are statements like these: "There's nothing worth living for anymore." "I'm so mad I could kill myself." 'Cries for Help' Psychologists say suicide attempts are actually "cries for help." They claim the urge for self-destruction is usually transitory. If a potential suicide victim can be helped over a "rough period," he can usually be brought back to normal. Bureau officials want someone on- hand to answer the cry for help before it's too late. The persons who will answer these cries will be called "gatekeepers." They will play key roles in a "rescue" plan devised by Dr.

Larry Dizmang, an official of the U. S. Public Health Service's National Institute of Mental Health in Chevy Chase, Md. Dr. Dizmang was here last month to discuss the suicide problem with BIA officials, law enforcement officers, and tribal council members.

He and other health officials are expected to return soon to train the gatekeepers. To Train Persons "We will attempt to train as many persons as possible who work with the Indians to spot the symptoms of a potential suicide," said John Pappan, BIA superintendent here. "The people We will train might include school counselors, Department of Public Assistance workers, policemen, the recreation director, the tribal council and tribal committee members. If one of the gatekeepers learns of someone with suicidal tendencies, we will see the person who needs help gets it." Pappan hopes health officials will schedule seminars soon to begin training gatekeepers. He hopes to have the cooperation of the Fort Hall Tribal Council, which has expressed concern about the suicide problem.

Pappan admits the gatekeeper system is designed only to cope with an emergency situation. He says in order to get at the real problem, researchers must find the causes of the high suicide rate among the Indians. Sociologists Interested Sociologists at Idaho State University have expressed an interest in studying the suicide problem here. A grant from the National Institute of Mental Health may be available to finance such a study. But no firm plans have been made.

BIA officials believe most Indians attempt suicide because they are overcome by a "hopeless-helpless" feeling about life. Alcohol figures in nearly all the suicides. About half the suicides and attempts happen in jail. The "hopeless-helpless" feeling is probably a result of the Indians' economic condition and their inability to adjust in a white man's world. The Indians often lack the education and training to compete for jobs in nearb 1 communities.

About half the Indian families make less than $2,250 per year and live in substandard housing. There is a chronic unemployment problem on the reservation. All these factors mirjht contribute to the feeling of some Indians that life is not worth living. Whites Share Blame Pappan thinks the white communities surrounding the reservation can share sorre of the iame for the high suicide rate, le said the Indians have not een accepted as members of he communities, and the communities must try to help the ndians improve their situation. He thinks this can be done by offering the Indians jobs, train- ng, and inviting them to partic- pate in community affairs.

Wilfred Petit, BIA juvenile oi- icer. compiled the suicide sta- istics and is spearheading the BIA's campaign to fight suicides. He believes most of the suicide a especially those in the jails, are made by Indians who are angry and attempt to "get even" with authorities. Only two of the suicides since 1960 have been women. The most popular method among men is hanging.

The women seem to prefer overdoses of pills. The number of suicide at- ed at manipulating another per- on. Suicides are most prevalent among younger said most attempts are by persons between 17 and 32. All suicides since 1960 have been by persons between 15 and 42. Petit said the jailers are starting to keep a closer eye on Sher- tempts is about evenly divided among men and women.

Experts have found that women are more prone to half-hearted suicide attempts with the hope that someone will keep them from dying. Such attempts are usually aim- Navy Captain to Commission Pocatello Seabees Saturday prisoners. Bannock County iff Parker says he is no extra precautions to cope with the suicides. "We can't provide a babysit-1 ting service." Parker said. "We' have to take care of 70 or 80 prisoners every weekend." Parker said standard precautions against suicides in the Bannock County Jail include taking everything from the prisoners except their underwear.

All the prisoners are dressed in coveralls issued by the county. The ones who attempt suicide MONTREAL (AP) Rose usually try to hang themseives', Houston wen! to say goodby to Commissioning ceremonies for Pocatello Naval Reserve Battalion Division 1.1-10 are scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Lt. James Fogg, com- nanding officer, announced today. Captain Bryan S.

Pickett, Commanding Offirer of Northwest Division of the Naval Engineering Command in Seat- Je, will address the local Sea- ees at the Navy Reserve Cen- located at the former Naval Ordnance Plant here. A noon luncheon in Captain 'ickett's honor is slated at the Hotel Bannock preceding the commissioning ceremonies. NRCB 13-10 was organized as a detachment to Boise's Seabce Division and has operated as such since. However, the unit recruited enough personnel to qualify as a division, said Lt. Fogg.

The local Seabees train by milding community projects iponsored by non-sectarian, non- irpfit organizations and also receive training quarterly in Seattle. The unit spent tmo weeks recently on active duty under- joing Marine Corps defensive raining tactics at Camp Pendle- on, Calif. All construction trades craftsmen are eligible for enlistment under the special ratings program as well as former Naval ersonnel, reported Lt. Fogg. The local unit consists of 25 men.

Lt. Robert N. Dahmer of 'ocatello is executive officer. Capt. Pickett will be accompanied by Cmdr.

N. C. Harvey, CEC, USN, 13 Naval District Reserve Program Officer. Capt. Pickett is responsible or construction of all naval ihore facilities in the five northwest states and directs and ad- misters the maintenance of hese facilities, which include itilities, transportation a housing facilities.

This involves, about $24 million of construction' work in the Northwest each year. Capt. Pickett has been awarded the Silver Star Medal and the Bronze Star Medal with Combat and is entitled to the Ribbon for Navy Unit Commendation, awarded the submarine Sea Devil for heroism. Capt. Pickett entered the U.S.

Naval Academy on appointment from his native state of California on July 21, 1939, He was commissioned an Ensign in the U. S. Navy after graduating in June 1942. After graduation, he was assigned to the aircraft carrier Saratoga, serving until 1943 as Assistant Navigator and Signal Officer. During that period he participated in the Guadal- canal-Tulagi landings, capture and defense of Guadalcanal and Eastern Solomons Operation, Rabaul strikes and Marshall and Gilberts' invasion.

The commissioning of the Seabees gives Pocatello three Naval Reserve units including a surface division and an intelligence unit. To Decide Soon On ISL Closure BOISK (AP) Third district judges were to make a decision, "in a few days" on a petition' submitted Wednesday asking for a grand investigation o( tho closure last July nf the Idaho Savings and Loan Association. 1 Ada County Prosecutor Wayne; Indians''' Petiti 1 Kidwe11 entered the petition in connection with the closure lat July 5 of the institution which hold 20.000 deposits in its I four offices. Kidwell's office had gated Idaho Savings and operations with $10,000 of Ada County funds and $25,000 provid- jed by the 1967 Legislature. The attorney asked in his petition that a grand jury be impaneled before May 30 to investigate "alleged public offenses committed or triable within the County of Ada." Unexpected Trips from the bars with ropes made from torn clothing or bedclothes.

"I can't understand why they do it," Parker said. "It's getting to be kind of a fad. We've tried to talk to the ones who her daughter in Glasgow and wound up visiting her son in Montreal. The Scottish grandmother had gone to wish her daughter bon voyage on the luxury liner Em- a miciiipicu suit-iuc. I ul Jim laucu LU they're a stoic bunch.

We the call for visitors to go can't communicate." i ashore. The sheriff said almost all of Wednesday she stepped quiet- CAPT. BRYAN S. PICKETT Here For Commissioning Ceremonies What's a few dollars more when you can move up to the luggagi that'll still look new a million fun-filled miles from now. You can forget about luggage trouble when you vacation with DM Samsonite Contours.

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Persons who try to kill themselves or who threaten suicide are stripped of all their clothing and placed in the drunk tank. ly off the ship when it arrived here and went off to visit her son who lives in Montreal. Immigration authorities said the unwilling stowaway probably would be given tourist status to enable her to make the best of her unexpected trip. 701 Rich Girl Slipon 3.99 Thick-and-Thin rib Irtil In 100 Combed cotton Jewel neckline, zip hack closing and short sleevei. navy, light blue, orange, dark brown, light beige, black.

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