ABSTRACT
The choice of title, “Guided by the Spirits: The Meanings of Life, Death, and Youth Suicide,” as well as the use of oral histories, are explicitly discussed. Ojibwa approaches to sickness, health and well-being, or Pimadiziiwin, hinges on metaphysical, spiritual explanations of empirical observations of health outcomes. The power of oral histories lay in the ability to provide guidance and healing for individuals, families, and communities through an increased awareness of position within a sociological, cultural, and historical imaginary.
