Nunavut group seeks new Inuktitut word for suicide

A group of Nunavummiut drafting a suicide prevention strategy for the territory is looking for a new word for "suicide" in the Inuit language of Inuktitut.

During a recent tour of Nunavut's 25 communities, members of the working group found the lack of a proper Inuktitut term for suicide makes it more difficult to talk about a subject that is already sensitive for most people.

One group member, Natan Obed of Inuit land-claims organization Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., said people talking about suicide often use the term ingminiirniq, which he said literally translates into "to do it yourself."

But Obed said it's the kind of term his two-year-old son might use to describe eating his own dinner.

"It just doesn't seem like the phrase in Inuktitut serves the subject well," Obed told CBC News. "I think that's part of the barrier right now, is the terminology that's used."

Nunavut Languages Commissioner Alexina Kublu, who is also a board member with the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention, said Inuit have historically found ways of avoiding the word "suicide" altogether, such as by describing the methods of death that were used.

There's a reason the current term for suicide does not mention the act of ending one's own life, Kublu said.

"It does not say 'has killed onself' because in Inuktitut we are trying to be sensitive to the people who are experiencing the loss and cushion their feelings," she said.

No 'sugar-coating'

Obed said many in the communities he has visited have already offered some ideas for a new word to describe suicide.

"We had a number of suggestions from communities about what the proper term should be," he said. "It isn't sugar-coating anything. It's just getting to the definition that is appropriate."

Obed said a group of Inuit will be assembled to decide on a new term for suicide.

He noted the subtleties of the Inuktitut langage can make a big difference in how people perceive the issue.