General Information

Seven residents of the Rosebud committed suicide so far this year and twenty three in the last eighteen months.

The Rosebud Sioux Tribe in collaboration with the many programs and the RST Suicide Task Force hosted a suicide summit, “Wiconi Wacan” on July first and second at the Sinte Gleska University Multi-purpose building in Mission, SD. Officials and dignitaries from the Department of Health & Human Services in Washington DC, Representatives from Tim Johnson’s, John Thune’s and Stephanie Herseth, local Health Officials and Suicide Survivors came together to find solutions to a problem that has impacted so many on the Rosebud Reservation. Well over one hundred people attended the two day summit.

Tillie Black Bear, Executive Director of the White Buffalo Calf Woman Society, presented to those in attendance the suicide prevention video “Suicide is not a vide game, you won’t be able to press play again” and then guided a panel discussion from suicide survivors and the entire audience.

One thing Black Bear would like to see come out of the summit is a plan to consolidate the efforts to decrease suicides.

Regardless of this and other efforts, suicide remains a major problem on the reservation, but the sense is that situation is not as helpless as it was a year ago.

The White Buffalo Calf Woman Society continues to actively participate and collaborate in all efforts to eliminate suicide among the communities on the Rosebud.

Suicide Efforts Continue on the Rosebud Reservation

Suicide is not a video game, you won’t be able to press play again...