Rhonda Morigeau, Mary Rose Morigeau-Brodie, and Ayana enjoy Vaughn Eaglebear’s comedy show at the KwaTaqNuk Resort.
POLSON — The Second Annual Reason to Live Wellness Summit, sponsored by CSKT Tribal Behavioral Health, was held on April 24 at the KwaTaqNuk Resort. Around 75 people, including a diverse group of mental health professionals, teachers, students, parents, and community members, attended the event, which concluded with a performance by comedian Vaughn Eaglebear.
Dr. John Sommers-Flanagan, Ph.D., is a professor of counseling at the University of Montana. According to his website (johnsommersflanagan.com), he works with children, parents, and families. He is the author or coauthor of over 100 professional publications and eight books.
The highly sought-after speaker travels throughout the United States and made a stop in Polson to present two-morning sessions titled “10 Things You Should Know About Mental Health, Suicide, & Happiness” and “Why We Should Be In Pursuit Of Eudaimonia, Not Happiness.” Later in the afternoon, he shared a simple method to help people navigate their emotions with the “Three-Step Emotional Change Trick.”
Door prize drawings were held throughout the day, and breakfast, lunch, and snacks were provided. Each attendee received a small gift bag with a coffee cup, chapstick, stress string, and other small items. Each table had coloring pages, which gave the participants a chance to express their creativity and focus while listening to presentations.
During the afternoon session, Rosemary Caye shared how to utilize cultural values and practices while managing today’s challenges. Her presentation connected Kootenai culture to successfully walking on two roads. It illuminated the world of her people, revealing a culture far more complex than colonial narratives have portrayed.
Describing traditional Kootenai life, she explained how her ancestors navigated seasonal migrations with remarkable precision. “We weren’t wanderers,” she emphasized. “We knew exactly where to go each season – hunting, gathering berries, preparing for winter.”
The four directions hold deep significance in Kootenai’s worldview. “East is where the day comes from,” she explained, highlighting the spiritual connection to natural cycles. This perspective guided everything from daily ceremonies to hunting practices.
Kinship practices were particularly nuanced. Arranged marriages weren’t about romance, but survival skills. “We would pair individuals based on their abilities,” she noted. “A skilled hunter might be matched with someone who is excellent at tanning hides.”
Contemporary challenges were not ignored. Caye spoke candidly about how colonial impacts – from the 49th Parallel Treaty that split Indigenous territories to forced relocations – continue to impact communities.
“The Saint Ignatius Mission was one of the biggest disruptions,” she revealed. In 1854, the church relocated from Usk, Washington, to its current location, and a year later, the Hellgate Treaty systematically reduced homelands and sought to dismantle the cultural way of life. Both went hand in hand to replace cultural practices of hunting and gathering with farming and religion.
Yet resilience remained paramount. She spoke of how people took cultural practices “underground” to preserve language and traditional arts and pass cultural knowledge to younger generations at a time when the government frowned upon it. Sharing what one knows is imperative to maintaining a special worldview and living culture. “Every one of us is a teacher,” she insisted.
Her journey reflected broader community experiences – learning traditional skills, overcoming historical traumas, and maintaining cultural identity in a rapidly changing world.
“As old as I am, I’m still learning,” she said – a powerful statement of continuous cultural renewal.
The presentation was more than a historical account. It was a living, breathing demonstration of Kootenai’s survival. This culture has endured and continues to thrive with adaptability and grace.
Concluding the day of wellness was a comedy show, during which Two Eagle River School freshman Tilden St. Goddard made his comedic debut. Sarah Sandoval also took the stage and opened for Vaughn Eaglebear.
Eaglebear is a member of the Colville tribe and is from Omak, Washington. He’s best known for creating the song “John Wayne’s Teeth,” which was featured in the movie “Smoke Signals” (1998) and “American Indian Comedy Slam: Goin’ Native No Reservations Needed” (2010).
He weaves storytelling with unexpected punchlines. “I don’t know if you know this, but Omak is the land of apples, cherries, peaches, and plums,” said Eaglebear. “I…have never…experienced constipation.”
Later, he described a time when a friend warned him not to disclose his Native American identity to others who might think he’s from a rich casino tribe and try to rob him. “I’ve been profiled for being a drunk. I’ve been profiled as being a drug addict. But I’ve never been profiled for being rich!”
Raised by a single mother on the reservation, Eaglebear and his three sisters grew up around domestic violence and endured every kind of abuse. At the age of 14, he came home drunk and woke up to see his mother crying and smudging him off with cedar. She chose to put alcohol away to be a better mother.
His mother had her trauma to manage, from her high school sweetheart dying in a motorcycle wreck at 18 and her dad later committing suicide. She never talked about it, but Eaglebear knew it was a source of pain for her when she wouldn’t allow him ever to ride a motorcycle or own a gun. Eighteen years ago, Eaglebear stopped drinking and walked the red road, citing his mother as one of his reasons to live.
He spoke candidly about his sobriety from alcohol. Also, he gave t-shirts to an audience member with more than 18 years of sobriety. He also gave one to a female with over 10 years of sobriety.
“When my mother passed away, it just cemented it even more for me. I want to live up to that even more after the love and for her giving up the bottle to raise us kids with what little she had. So that was one of my many reasons to live was my mother,” said Eaglebear.
Reason to Live operates under Tribal Health and emphasizes prevention education and outreach in suicide prevention, healthy relationships, communication, boundaries, community, and cultural connection. The project’s purpose is to reduce the prevalence of suicide among the CSKT population by utilizing trauma-informed suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention approaches. Implementing culturally appropriate community connectedness activities guided by tribal elders and cultural knowledge keepers is also a key aspect.
With May 1 marking the first day of Mental Health Awareness Month, Tribal Behavioral Health has resources available for anyone struggling or in need of support. For more information, contact (406)745-3525.
The Three-Step Emotional Change Trick: A Psychologist’s Guide to Mood Management
Dr. John discovered a simple yet powerful method in psychology to help people, especially young individuals, navigate their emotional landscapes. Years ago, as a young psychologist working with teens, he discovered that happy people are better problem solvers. He knew he needed to have a strategy for helping them get in a better mood. “If people are in better moods, they’re more creative. They’re more capable of solving problems, their own and others,” he said.
Dr. John discourages telling people to “cheer up” because it dismisses people’s emotions. Instead, he offers to teach this trick “so that if you want to get in a better mood, you can do it yourself.” His “three-step emotional change trick” offers a compassionate approach to managing difficult feelings.
Step 1: Feel then Honor Your Emotions
“People act like emotions are irrational, but they’re not. Emotions come from somewhere. They don’t just happen.” This crucial first step is to name, be with, and honor it. “Just respect the fact that we’re feeling what we’re feeling.” Instead of dismissing emotions, Dr. John encourages people to name and sit with what they’re experiencing. “Crying is probably the most natural way to respect that emotion,” he explains. A theory states that NOT expressing feelings like crying requires more physical effort. Suppose people talk or write about their emotions and respect them. In that case, they are physically healthier, and their immune systems function better. The key is validation recognizing that your feelings are legitimate and meaningful.
Step 2: Do or Think Something Different
As Dr. John noted, “You don’t need to go to step two unless you want to go to step two.” One may sit with their feelings as long as they need or want without pressure to move forward until ready.
“Do something different that might help you change your feelings when you’re ready.” Once you’ve honored your emotions, consider shifting your perspective or environment. This isn’t about forcing happiness, but gently shifting your experience. Participants suggested various strategies:
- Deep breathing. Inhale through the nose, exhale out the mouth.
- Go outside
- Talk to a trusted person
- Take a walk
- Listen to music
- -Pray and give it to the Creator
“It’s a lot about how you frame and how you think about the time,” said Dr. John. “If you use it therapeutically and think differently, that’s the key.” Most importantly, people need to find their own techniques and what works for them.
Step 3: Spread Good Mood Without Ever Saying “Cheer up”
The final step involves sharing positivity without using dismissive phrases like “cheer up” and avoiding “toxic positivity.” Simple actions can make a difference.
- Smiling
- Sharing food
- Offering gentle humor
- Creating connection by listening
Step 4: Teach Others
Dr. John playfully added a fourth step because emotions are complicated, so it takes four steps! The final step is teaching the trick to someone else and believing that sharing emotional wisdom creates a ripple effect of understanding.
The trick’s magic lies in its simplicity and respect for individual emotional experiences. As Dr. John wisely stated, “Happy people are better problem solvers. “ This approach offers a path to that happiness—on one’s own terms.