OKMULKEE, Oklv. – National Suicide Prevention Week took place in the United States, starting on Sept. 8 and ending on Sept. 14. The Muscogee (Creek) Nation took part in this by holding activities to commemorate it.
Events within the Muscogee Nation began with the “Talk Saves Lives” lecture on Sept. 9, which was a suicide prevention training event where attendees could, in the words of MCN Health, “learn the necessary tools to help save a life”. This event was held both in the College of Muscogee Nation Lecture Hall and in the Creek Nation Community Hospital’s conference room in Okemah. It included not only ways to notice if someone is struggling with their mental health, but also ways to help prevent someone from potentially harming themselves, such as providing access to mental health care, providing family and community support, and simply being there for someone in need of help.
Following this, on Sept. 10, there was a self-care day and a series of Yellow Ribbon activities held in honor of World Suicide Prevention Day. These events, held in the Solomon McCombs Building on the MCN Tribal Complex, as well as the Sapulpa and Okemah Clinics, were dedicated to helping people manage stress and take care of themselves.
The third event of the week took place on Sept. 11 outside the Mound Building in Okmulgee, at the Eufaula Clinic, at the Sapulpa Clinic, and at the Creek Nation Community Hospital in Okemah. The event, known as “Chalk Out the Stigma” was a chalk-drawing event for people to spread messages of hope, love, encouragement and awareness. This event was held in hopes of removing the stigma around mental health and suicide.
The final event of the week that was held by MCN Health was on Sept. 12. The Hope Walk, held at the Eufaula Clinic and outside the Mvskoke Dome in Okmulgee, was a walk dedicated to those who had lost their lives to suicide. In Okmulgee, the event included a talk by Michael D. Coon, a Muscogee citizen and Vietnam veteran, who has become a well-known advocate for veterans mental health after his son, Michael K. Coon, an Army veteran who had served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Persian Gulf, committed suicide. This talk was then followed by the walk, which Michael participated in along with the other attendees.
At all of these events, MCN Health was there to provide information on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, with employees handing out information and free gifts in order to help spread awareness regarding suicide.
For those who are struggling with mental health or are in crisis, there is always someone willing to help. Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Hotline 24/7.
