The flag of the Oglala Sioux Tribe.

Associated Press reporter Regina Garcia Cano appeared on the Here & Now program to discuss her story about youth suicide within the Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota.

Since December, seven young people -- including a 12-year-old -- have committed suicide on the Pine Ridge Reservation. There also have been several attempts.

In speaking to parents, educators and tribal leaders, Cano said they identified poverty, alcohol and domestic violence as problems that contribute to youth suicide. But she also said they pointed to a much larger issue that has affected the reservation for generations.

"They also say that it has to do with the decimation of the Oglala Lakota culture and the fact that the children that live on the reservation do not have an identity," Cano said on the program. "n the long run, they feel hopeless."

According to the AP, nearly 1,000 suicide attempts were reported on the reservation between 2004 and 2013.

Get the Story:
Youth Suicides Plague South Dakota Reservation (WBUR 4/15)

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