Navajo veteran helps Indigenous veterans, decrease suicide rates

NAVAJO NATION (AZFamily) — According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, in 2021, almost 6,400 veterans died by suicide. That’s 114 more deaths than in 2020.

Data also shows Indigenous people serve at the highest rates per capita but have some of the lowest numbers of resources.

Veteran Cassandra Morgan grew up alongside Navajo veterans.

So when she got out of the Marines and faced the same challenges as generations before her, she knew she had to step up.

“That hard-charging spirit, that spirit of I need to get this done for my veterans,” Morgan said.

Morgan said she’s full Navajo and full of pride for those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, including her father.

“My dad, he’s a Marine, Vietnam veteran and so they have been involved with a lot of veteran activities for forever,” Morgan said.

This inspired her to join the Marines as well but she would soon face the same challenges as her father – a lack of resources for Indigenous people.

“I saw my dad growing up while I was still in high school, tried for these benefits and then spending, you know, six years in the Marine Corps, coming home 10 years later, and he’s still at the same point,” Morgan said.

She found with traditional services, there was a language barrier and a lack of cultural inclusion. For people living in the remote parts of the Navajo Nation, there was isolation and often multiple-day trips just to apply for help.

“And I’m like, you know, that’s, that’s a lot of gas money for just a maybe and so,” Morgan said.

According to data from the VA – Indigenous veteran suicide jumped to the highest rate of any ethnic group in 2021.

So Morgan became the program lead of the Diné Naazbaa Partnership, a branch of the American Warriors Partnership. She created the “Be Known” campaign specifically designed to prevent suicide in Indigenous veterans by connecting them with specialized resources.

“So we have veterans who have that dark feeling,” she said. “So what I try to do is I try to stop that, you know, let’s see what we can get. Let’s get a game plan going. How can we help you?”

They provide traditional healing practices, educational services, and even grocery cards in hopes of keeping more Indigenous veterans alive.

She also said they are focusing on women veteran suicide prevention. While it’s higher among men, Indigenous women saw the largest increase in suicide in recent reporting.

“What I try to do is let these sisters know you’re not alone,” Morgan said. “You know you are here. We’ve gone through the same things. Let’s work together. Let’s help each other out, and so now it’s becoming a whole movement.”

Morgan said the goal is to connect as many veterans as possible to these services to improve their lives.

“This is my passion,” she said. “This is something I see as my life basically. All these things that they could be utilizing to make their life better that better quality of life.”

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