Mason Durie
Abstract
Across the globe suicide has become a major public health concern. Indigenous suicide rates have escalated over the past two decades and continue to exceed national rates. In 2016, a Māori tribal organisation, Ngāti Pikiao, convened an international conference, Turamarama ki te Ora, to discuss global approaches to the prevention of suicide. To bring together the many aspects of suicide prevention, a Declaration was presented and subsequently endorsed by Conference delegates. The Turamarama Declaration acknowledged the grief associated with suicide, recognised avenues to promote indigenous resilience, identified opportunities to decrease risks to suicide, and challenged local, national, and international authorities to take definitive measures to reduce indigenous suicide. The Declaration also encouraged indigenous people to work together to provide an integrated response and collective, networked leadership.
