Aboriginal suicide is different: that’s one of the key messages that came out of the inaugural Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention conference in May this year. Other messages follow from that one: local communities know best how to understand causes and build solutions; and supporting and strengthening Aboriginal culture is a big part of any solution. 

Local support and prevention is vital, and cultural support essential, but state intervention also plays a part. It can be particularly powerful when both work together, and a recent joint initiative of Western Australia’s Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Department of Culture and Arts has that potential.

In a proposal put to the state cabinet in May but not yet released, the two departments argued for a “cultural investment strategy” for the state’s Aboriginal population.