By Grace Tesoro, Staff Writer
Susquehanna Native and Allies welcomed native motivational speaker Dyami Thomas to campus on Nov. 12 to speak on suicide prevention and other issues threatening Indigenous Leesh Lake Anishinaabe communities in honor of Native American Heritage month.
Thomas was invited to take part in the weekly Let’s Talk series hosted in the Center for Diversity and Inclusion. The conversation was titled “Healing Our People,” where Thomas shared his perspectives on native communities struggling with battles of addiction.
Later in the evening Thomasspoke in Isaacs Auditorium on the everyday struggles natives face in today’s society.
“Getting Dyami Thomas to speak at Susquehanna was a very student-driven process,” said junior and president of Susquehanna Native and Allies (SUNA) Malia Simon. “I felt like I was in a good position to take initiative to reach out to him directly.”
Thomas was born and raised in Portland, Oregon and is a member of the Klamath and Leech Lake Anishinaabe tribes. Before he became a certified suicide prevention counselor, Thomas spent a decade pursuing his passion of acting.
He received his certification for being a certified suicide prevention counselor at the age of 18. But it was not until he reached the age of 22 did he feel a true pull to this path and that he felt he was meant to pursue counseling for a living.
“At 22 years old it really hit me that our people are suffering. I wanted to take it upon myself to put myself out there and use my voice and try to help other people,” Thomas said.
At the beginning of his presentation, Thomas had audience members greet each other with a hug, handshake and a compliment. With a positive energy coursing through the room, Thomas stated, “Quite often we go about our days but we do not take the time out to show kindness. Everybody in this room is going through something you may not even know about.”
Thomas mentioned that these small gestures can make a huge difference and there are moments where people truly need someone else’s kindness.
Thomas shared that even though the Natives in the United States only represent about 0.9% of the population, Indigenous teens have the highest rates of suicide.
“This is a silent scream for help,” Thomas said. “Natives are suffering from historical trauma in their bloodline.”
Thomas was honest about the issues of addiction to drugs and alcohol plaguing Indigenous communities. He explained that suicide among Indigenous people is prevalent due to them already being impaired by substances that influence their choices.
“If our people have a hard time already, why turn to something that will numb us even more?” Thomas asked.
Thomas said does not drink or smoke after seeing how these habits have negatively impacted not only his people, but family and friends as well. Instead, he works to surround himself with positive people that support him and do not pressure him.
Thomas had the audience envision how natives lived 500 years in the past, where they were living independently and lavishly, and were closely connected to their customs. But when settlers arrived, Indigenous people were faced with massacre, rape, murder and the removal of them off of their sacred lands.
He reflected on the resilience and strength of his ancestors and encouraged Native students in the audience to always remember their strength and sacrifices, especially during difficult times.
“Our ancestors were trying to remain resilient but they were wiped by the millions. But when you are feeling sad, lonely, or disconnected, think of the resiliency and the strength that your ancestors had for us to be here today. Think of that strength,” Thomas said.
According to Thomas, even though young Natives face many hardships in life, they should never lose sight of their ancestors and all that they did to give them the opportunity to pursue higher education in the first place.
Thomas talked about the importance of education, especially for young Natives that might be struggling. “Being strong and educated is the biggest threat to the United States government who tried to wipe us out not that long ago,” Thomas said.
To close the lecture, Thomas conducted an activity of self-affirmation with the audience repeating three phrases, “I am strong,” “I am powerful” and “I am beautiful.”
“You are all chiseled to perfection” he said. “Embrace your differences because they are what make you, you.”
Reflecting on Thomas’ lecture Simon remarked that it made her month. “For him to be here and from what he talked about confirmed my experiences and how I look for my ancestors and think about them with everything that I do,” Simon said.
