International
In Canada’s Arctic, Inuit traditions help combat youth depression
AFP | by Anne-Sophie THILL
Filleting a fish, lighting a fire or building an igloo: In Canada’s Arctic, Inuit youth are being encouraged to connect with their culture in an attempt to prevent severe depression and save lives.
A dozen teenagers and young adults gather around instructor Alex Flaherty. They don’t want to miss any of the traditional hunter’s precise gestures as he carves a fish or lights a fire.
“Our culture has changed so much in the last 50 years when people used to live in igloos… the change is happening so fast, (and) we are losing our culture,” he tells AFP.
Flaherty blames the societal shifts for a series of social ills such as violent crime, substance abuse and a high rate of suicide.
Hoping to help remedy these problems, he’s taken hundreds of teenagers hiking, camping and hunting in the vast tundra in the past three years.
In addition to keeping alive Inuit culture, his government-funded Polar Outfitting program also aims to bolster young people’s mental health and teach them to adapt to a changing climate — in a region that is warming much faster than elsewhere.
Flaherty says he takes mostly youth aged 12 to 20 years old, “because that’s when their lifestyle starts changing (and) when they need help.”
In the summer, they hike across the rocky, windswept lands near the bay city of Iqaluit that is home to some 7,000 residents — and is accessible only by plane most months.
They also learn to make fishing nets to catch Arctic char and to navigate and survive in the pristine but unforgiving environment.
In the dead of winter, when sunlight is reduced to just a few hours per day, they will go out on the ice to fish, and build igloos.
‘Not just about fishing’
At 22, Annie Kootoo is the oldest in the current class. She gushes with joy after spending 10 days in the wilderness.
“I did a lot of activities that I don’t usually do, and it’s been very helpful for my mental health,” she says.
Chris Laisa, a 14-year-old echoes the sentiment. “I feel great,” he says after a lesson.
“It was fun because I learned how to fillet a fish, how to prepare it.”
Flaherty, standing nearby, adds that it’s “not just about fishing. It’s about clearing your mind, being outdoors and sharing with others.”
In the Nunavut territory of northern Canada, where the average age is 28, young people are deeply affected by the isolation and intergenerational traumas caused by past colonial policies.
Like many Indigenous peoples in Canada, the Inuit are haunted by memories of being forced into residential schools where they were stripped of their language and culture, and abused by teachers and headmasters.
Here the suicide rate is much higher than the rest of the country — 76.6 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2020 compared to 10.1, according to Statistics Canada.
Camilla Sehti, the Nunavut government’s head of mental health and addictions services, goes through a long list of what’s contributed to the crisis: “It’s just so many factors.”
Healing, she says, “starts with reconnecting people to their culture.”
“I think colonization had a huge impact on this territory and the ability for people to feel connected to self,” she explains, describing new mental health initiatives that emphasize “family, culture and community.”
After losing her best friend two years ago, Minnie Akeeagok started posting warnings on social media about depression and suicide.
“Everybody in Nunavut knows someone who has committed suicide or faced mental health issues. I personally know more than five,” the 18-year-old told AFP.
“We need more resources, more accessibility within the mental health field in Nunavut,” she says, noting that in the far off communities of this Arctic territory the situation is even more dire.
International
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has deported “more than half a million” migrants due to pressure from former President Donald Trump.
During a cabinet meeting highlighting the “achievements” of Trump’s administration in its first 100 days, Noem asserted that under the Republican leader’s influence, “Mexico has finally come to the table” to negotiate on migration and fentanyl trafficking.
“The president of Mexico told me she has returned just over half a million people before they reached our border,” Noem stated, criticizing media reports that suggest the Biden administration deported more migrants than Trump’s.
“I wish those deportations were counted,” Noem added, “because those people never made it to our border—she sent them back because you made her.” She went on to thank Trump: “They never made it here because they got the message—because you were so aggressive.”
Noem has made controversial claims about Sheinbaum in the past, prompting the Mexican leader to refute them.
On April 1, Sheinbaum responded to one such statement by declaring, “The president answers to only one authority, and that is the people of Mexico,” after Noem said on Fox News that she gave Sheinbaum “a list of things Trump would like to see” and that Mexico’s actions would determine whether Trump granted tariff relief.
International
Vatican releases special “Sede Vacante” stamps ahead of papal transition
he Vatican’s post offices and select collector shops began selling special edition stamps this week to mark the period between the death of Pope Francis and the election of his successor.
Known as “Sede Vacante” stamps, they feature an image used on official Vatican documents during the interregnum between popes — two crossed keys without the papal tiara. These stamps went on sale Monday and will remain valid for postal use only until the new pontiff appears at the window overlooking St. Peter’s Square.
Until then, they can be used to send letters, postcards, and parcels. “Once the new pope is elected, the stamps lose their postal validity, but their collectible value rises,” said Francesco Santarossa, who runs a collectors’ shop across from St. Peter’s Square.
The Vatican has issued the stamps in four denominations: €1.25, €1.30, €2.45, and €3.20. Each is inscribed with “Città del Vaticano” and “Sede Vacante MMXXV” — Latin for “Vacant See 2025.”
International
Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
The conclave, which in the coming weeks must choose the successor to Pope Francis, will strictly follow a precise protocol refined over centuries.
The 135 cardinal electors, all under the age of 80, will cast their votes four times a day — except on the first day — until one candidate secures a two-thirds majority. The result will be announced to the world through the burning of the ballots with a chemical that produces the eagerly awaited white smoke, accompanied by the traditional cry of “Habemus Papam.”
The start date for the conclave could be announced today, as the cardinals are set to hold their fifth meeting since the pope’s passing. Luxembourg Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich suggested it could begin on May 5 or 6, following the traditional nine days of mourning. According to German Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the conclave could last only “a few days.”
Although the late Argentine pontiff appointed the majority of the cardinal electors, this does not necessarily ensure the selection of a like-minded successor. Francis’ leadership style differed significantly from that of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, a German theologian who was less fond of large public gatherings. It also marked a contrast with the popular Polish pope, John Paul II.
The Argentine Jesuit’s reformist papacy drew strong criticism from more conservative sectors of the Church, who are hoping for a doctrinally focused shift. His tenure was marked by efforts to combat clerical sexual abuse, elevate the role of women and laypeople, and advocate for the poor and migrants, among other causes.
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
Vatican releases special “Sede Vacante” stamps ahead of papal transition
Conclave to choose pope Francis’ successor could begin in early may
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