Emma Elliott

University of Washington, Cognitive Studies/ Learning Sciences & Human Development & Cognition, Faculty Member

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Dr. Elliott-Groves is an assistant professor in the Department of Learning Sciences and Human Development in the College of Education at the University of Washington. She holds both a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and a Master of Social Work in Children, Youth, and Families. Much of her research centers on understanding the meanings and explanations of suicidal behavior from the perspective of Indigenous peoples. Her work grows from ethical frameworks generated by Indigenous and place-based knowledges and practices to create process-centered approaches that illuminate Indigenous pathways toward collective livelihood. By employing a strengths-based approach to recovery, Dr. Elliott-Groves rigorously engages youth, families, and communities in the development of integrated behavioral health interventions to address complex social issues. As an enrolled member of the Cowichan Tribes who was born and raised in the community, Dr. Elliott-Groves is currently partnering with her home community to design programming to strengthen its physical, mental, intellectual, and cultural health. The interdisciplinary intersections of her research include contemporary Indigenous issues; culture, learning, and human development; and trauma, prevention, and recovery.
Phone: 206.221.5125
Address: Emma Elliott-Groves, PhD, MSW | University of Washington
Cowichan Tribes
Assistant Professor
College of Education
322 G Miller Hall, Box 353600
Seattle, WA 98195
emmae@uw.edu

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Insights from Cowichan: A Hybrid Approach to Understanding Suicide in One First Nations’ Collective

Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior, Aug 1, 2017

Explanations for suicide are theorized primarily in terms of the individual, seldom considering t... more Explanations for suicide are theorized primarily in terms of the individual, seldom considering the interdependent orientation of Indigenous communities. Drawing on the interpersonal theory of suicide and settler colonial theory, this study addresses Indigenous suicide on two levels: the individual and the collective. Twenty-one interviews were conducted with members of the Cowichan Tribes to understand reasons for suicide in one community. Qualitative analysis identified explanatory constructs proposed by the interpersonal theory as well as negative conditions stemming from colonialism, as proposed by settler colonial theory. These results argue that Indigenous suicidal behavior is best understood from an interdependent standpoint. Death by suicide is a tragedy that occurs across all populations. Suicide is preventable, yet every 40 seconds, somewhere in the world, someone dies by suicide (World Health Organization, 2014, p. 3). Some populations are at especially high risk of suicidal behavior, including refugees, prisoners, sexual minorities, and Indigenous peoples. Notably, rates of suicide in Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand are much higher among Indigenous peoples than their non-Indigenous counterparts (World Health Organization, 2014). Within these groups, young people, especially males, face particularly grave risks (Fraser, Geoffroy, Chachamovich, & Kirmayer, 2015; World Health Organization, 2014). Medicalized models of suicide tend to frame Indigenous behaviors as symptoms of individual pathology (Wexler & Gone, 2012), placing the locus of responsibility with the individual rather than addressing social or cultural causes of suicide. Despite an increase in research on Indigenous suicide prevention with an emphasis on Indigenous cultural and social ways of knowing (see, e.g.

Emma Elliott

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