The old adage that it is better to go upstream to find out why people are falling into the river, rather than continuing to rescue them as they float by, has not been the focus of counseling with the Inupiat people of northern Alaska despite the increasing rates of suicide, alcoholism, and depression among Alaska Natives. In 1994, the Anchorage Daily News referred to a new study relating to accidents, homicides, and suicides in Alaska. The study, which covered a ten-year period (1980 to 1990), was released by the University of Alaska’s Institute of Social and Economic Research (Berman & Leisk, 1994). The findings showed that Alaska Natives are more.
