Suicide prevention is expected to top the agenda at an aboriginal youth meeting in Canada's Yukon territory next week.
Youth from around the country will converge on the city of Whitehorse, Yukon's capital, for the National Association of Friendship Centres' annual general meeting.
The aboriginal youth council has partnered with Kids Help Phone to create a national strategy for suicide prevention.
Andrea Landry from the association said the collaboration is significant.
"What we're hoping to do is establish a tool kit, or a workshop or guideline for urban aboriginal youth to take a hold of when they're dealing with the issue of suicide because it's very high numbers within our communities, not only on reserve but in the urban communities, and I think that's one of the key priorities," said Landry.
Other issues the group will discuss during the national meeting include employment challenges for aboriginal youth and how to engage youth in Canada's voting system.
The meeting wraps up next Wednesday.
This story is posted on Alaska Dispatch as part of Eye on the Arctic, a collaborative partnership between public and private circumpolar media