Inuktut vitality as a protective factor of suicide risk among Nunavut Inuit
Date
2025
Authors
Loggie, Alexander
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Abstract
This thesis examines the relationship between Inuktut language vitality and suicide rates among Inuit communities in Nunavut, exploring whether cultural continuity—particularly through language—serves as a protective factor against suicide risk. While previous research has linked Indigenous language knowledge to improved mental health outcomes, including reduced suicide rates, limited quantitative work has focused specifically on Inuit populations in Nunavut. This study draws on data from the 2016 Canadian census and suicide incidence reports from 1999 to 2014, using multiple regression analysis to assess the association between community-level measures of Inuktut vitality and suicide rates, while controlling for socio-economic variables including income, education, and employment. The analysis finds a modest but consistent, inverse relationship between changes in the use of Inuktut as a main language at home and changes in suicide rates, with gains in the former significantly associated with declines in the latter. These findings contribute to the growing body of evidence linking language vitality to well-being and underscore the importance of Indigenous language maintenance and revitalization as integral components of public health and community wellness strategies. Additionally, the study highlights methodological challenges in operationalizing language vitality and demonstrates the value—and limits—of using census data to explore complex relationships between culture and health in Indigenous contexts.
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Keywords
Language, Health