Community members are invited to participate in annual conference, Mountains of Courage: Conversations on Death & Dying. The single-day conference is designed to explore the end of life journey by providing a relaxed setting for individuals and caregivers to discover available resources, tools and information.
The conference will be held on Saturday, March 28th, at Dahl Funeral & Cremation Services from 9am–4pm. Early registration is encouraged as space is limited. The registration fee includes lunch. Doors open at 8am.
Presenters and panelists will include health professionals, spiritual counselors, social workers, community support services and caregivers. Participants will have the opportunity to explore practical issues, emotions, myths and traditions and learn how to shift the current paradigm. They will learn about practical tools and resources to assist in making informed decisions when faced with end of life issues.
Keynote speaker Dr. Shane Doyle will present “Honoring the Sacred Wind That Binds Us.” The presentation will provide insight and wisdom about death and dying from the ancient Indigenous cultures of the Northern Plains. ‘Moving Camp to Join our Ancestors’ is the most common way to describe the process of death, and this metaphor illuminates the larger truth of not only dying but living as well.
Dr. Doyle (Apsaalooké) is a community and environmental advocate who hails from Crow Agency. He serves as the North America Indigenous Right Relations Director for The Nature Conservancy, as well as the Executive Director of Yellowstone Peoples an Indigenous nonprofit that supports and organizes an annual Intertribal Tipi Village event in Yellowstone Park.
In his role with The Nature Conservancy, he works across the United States and Canada to support Tribal Bison Restoration on Native lands, as well as the revitalization of Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Land Back to Native communities.
Other presenters include Nona Chambers and Susan Kreitzberg with ‘Rewards & Challenges of Caring for Aging Parents,’ Marsha Goetting with ‘Estate Planning Made (Almost) Fun,’ as well as various workshops that aim to help attendees navigate the dying experience.
The host nonprofit encourages open conversations about death and end-of-life planning through educational events and its annual conference, helping people approach these topics with greater understanding and compassion.
Conference registration is $80 at the door, availability dependent, with early bird, student and military discounts available. Lunch is included in the cost. CEUs are available. Workshop information, additional conference details, and registration are available at www.mountainsofcourage.org. •
