1. Chistaayihtaakun chipimaatisiwininuu – Miyukiniwaayihtihtaau
2018 Eeyou/Eenou Regional Assembly on Health and Social Services
“Working Together Towards a Healthy Future”
April 10, 11 and 12, 2018
Waswanipi, QC

2. Poster and Video Project timeline
Spring/Summer 2015 – Naakitiwaayititaau Pimaatisiiuun interested in a Suicide Prevention Awareness Campaign
July 2016 – Opportunity to collaborate with MikwChiyam
March 2017 – Created team to start working on Poster Campaign – Collaboration between Maanuuhiikuu, EEPF representative, JBES students and MikwChiyam
March/April 2017 – Screen Printing residency at JBES. Team met with MikwChiyam met with JBES students
April 2017 – Student pieces were chosen for posters
Summer/Fall 2017 – Development of messages and text for posters and opportunity to produce a video
December 2017 – Printing of Posters and recording of video
January/February 2018 – Posters are distributed to all communities and video is launched

3. Poster Campaign
The goal of the poster campaign is to have a strength based, evidence based and positive approach to suicide prevention. When the students were met, they were told about the purpose of the campaign and they discussed how art can sometimes be used to raise awareness around different issues we face as First Nation people. We emphasized the importance of “culture” as one of the protective factors from suicide. The messages are from a “Cree mindset”. They are written in syllabics and roman spelling (both northern and southern dialect) and translated into English.

4. Poster Campaign continued
The target audience of the poster campaign is for the whole population of Iyiyiyuu/Iinuu Aschii
The poster campaign is an example of working together on the issue of suicide. It is important for everyone to come together and work together when addressing the issue of suicide. Because it is a very complex and very sensitive subject for many people but at the same time, there are people who are ready and willing to work and make steps in helping people who are experiencing this issue. It is about taking equal responsibility; it is not just one person’s responsibility because it affects us all, our children, our youth, adults and even the elderly.

5. Video
Naakitiwaayititaau Pimaatisiiuun committee made a recommendation to produce a video to complement the posters.
Once we came to end of developing the posters, we had another opportunity with MikwChiyam to work with a videographer to produce a video
The video is six minute video explaining the purpose of the poster campaign.

6. Success of the Project Shared vision Involving key stakeholders
Team approach

7. Next steps
An addition to the campaign, we will be working on to produce more promotional material using the same art and messages to distribute to all communities. For example, pamphlets, pocket size, etc.

10. Chiniskumitinaawaau