The suicide triggers among atikamekw and anishnabek
This article is devoted to the discussion about suicide’s trigger in two communities with representatives of First Nations of Quebec: the Atikamekw, from Manawan, and the Anishnabek from Lac Simon. Broadly speaking, these triggers, also known as “immediate factors”, are, beyond addictions – alcohol and drugs – depression, and violence – physical, psychological, or sexual. We also offer a discussion of the lack of affection and the residential school system, which is analyzed as having a potential link with the causes of voluntary death. Analyses will be based largely on our fieldwork in both communities from an anthropological and ethnographical approach. We primarily used methods of participant-observation and unstructured interviews with members of both communities. On the subject of suicide, we obtained different points-of-view, which have led us to understand the negative effects of these triggers, but at the same time, showed us that they do not determine the act of suicide. While this article is dedicated to suicide triggers, we stress that such triggers are part of a greater range of events.