ABSTRACT
The introductory chapter provides an overview of Native American youth suicide research, focusing on the heavy reliance on quantitative research and need for collaborative, qualitative, and mixed methods research. The nuanced relationship with anthropology is addressed and the values-based direction of conventional social science research on indigenous youth suicide is questioned. This chapter reviews theoretical approaches to Native American youth suicide and discusses use of ethnographic approach and creative ethnographic writing to reach broader audiences and thereby increase impact on multiple levels of society regarding suicide prevention and awareness.
