The Power of Overcoming
Arnold Thomas shares a message of hope during Suicide Prevention Month
By Dianna Troyer
Surviving a suicide attempt that blinded him as a teen, Arnold Thomas says the incident gave him a new and unforeseen mission in life.
“People ask if I could, would I change what happened,” the 54-year-old Owyhee resident says. “I can’t change the past, but I can try to make the world better for others.”
Arnold travels throughout the United States and Canada, giving talks on suicide prevention and working as a motivational speaker.
“I share my story with others and hope that they gain faith, strength and the motivation to live life to its fullest with gratitude for what they have,” he says.
“Although I lost the ability to see, I gained insights to help others cope with their emotional pain.”
September is Suicide Prevention Month. Arnold suggests ways to speak to someone who talks about dying by suicide.
“Ask the person why and really listen and be reassuring that you care,” he says. “Once the door is open, talk about ideas to resolve what is troubling the individual. Try to dispel hopelessness. Help that person find the nearest professional resources available.”
How can friends and family heal from the sense of loss and tragedy of a loved one dying by suicide?
“Remember the good times of that person’s life instead of dwelling on the suicide,” Arnold says. “It’s sad and tragic to lose a loved one, and everyone takes a different amount of time to process and go through the stages of grief.”
Arnold has a personal understanding of the issue. He lost his father to suicide when he was 16.
“I didn’t know how to handle my father’s death and cycled into depression and substance abuse,” he says.
In 1988, at age 18, Arnold attempted to kill himself by shooting a 30-30 rifle under his chin. He moved to Salt Lake City to receive rehabilitation services and years of reconstructive surgery.
“As I began to recover, I started to connect with our tribal healing ceremonies: the sun dance, sweat lodge, Native American Church ceremonies and many other tribal ways of prayer,” he says.
After completing the rehabilitation program, Arnold enrolled at the University of Utah, where he earned a psychology degree in 1997 and a master’s degree in social work in 1999, with an emphasis on individual, group and family counseling.
In 1999, he launched his business, White Buffalo Knife Consulting, to tell his life story. The name was inspired by combining the names of his parents’ tribes—White Knife Clan and the Buffalo People.
While living in Utah, Arnold became a board-certified clinical chaplain and pastoral counselor. He worked with veterans at the George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
In 2014, Arnold moved back to Duck Valley and was elected to the tribal business council three years later.
He became vice-chairman of the Shoshone Paiute Tribal Business Council.
“To me, running for political office is an expression of spirituality because my goal is to help people,” Arnold says. “My ancestors have been leaders in our tribe, so I was asked to run for the council.”
Since being elected, he has:
• Improved voting access for Duck Valley Reservation residents by obtaining voting machines and partnering with the Nevada Secretary of State to allow registration with tribal identification cards.
• Worked with other community members to have a new Owyhee Combined School built to open in the fall of 2026 after groundbreaking occurred in May.
• Helped develop the community’s Walking Pathway Trail.
• Helped acquire funding for infrastructure dealing with a new sewer project and drinking water.
• Facilitated the Wood for Life Project to provide firewood for the community.
In an effort to improve lives statewide, Arnold is running for Nevada State Assembly District 32.
He says he starts his days with prayers and gratitude.
“Despite all the things I’ve been through, I’ve been able to turn it around with help from others and make good things happen in life,” he says. “We all face challenges and have the ability to overcome those challenges no matter what. Our life is what we make it.”
Find more information and resources about suicide prevention at Arnold Thomas’ website, www.whitebuffaloknife.com
Help Is Available
The region from Montana southward has been referred to as the suicide belt. Suicide rates in the rural West are higher than the national average, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A sense of isolation, attitudes of selfreliance, difficulty asking for help and a lack of professional counseling services in rural areas are cited as reasons for the high rates. Suicide rates are also disproportionately higher among farmers and ranchers than other occupations.
More than 50% of people who die by suicide show no warning signs and have no diagnosis of a mental health condition, according to the CDC.
Idaho farmer Scott Fuhriman shares his story of overcoming tragedy and depression at https://agri.idaho.gov/marketing/farmranch-center/farm-stress.
The following nonprofits offer help, particularly for farmers and ranchers in the West.
Call 988 to reach the 24/7 nationwide Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. People who call a suicide hotline often attribute their despondency to finances, deteriorating mental and physical health, chemical addiction and emotionally painful relationships.
The Jae Foundation was established in 2021. The Twin Falls-based foundation gives away cowboy boots as a reminder that people should check on each other, to take a few “boot-check” moments to talk to someone and offer a connection, hope and healing. jaefoundation.com.
Ask in Earnest was founded in 2018 by Darla Tyler-McSherry after her father died by suicide on his Montana farm. www.askinearnest.org.
Call 1-800-FARMAID. Staff members answer a hotline Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time. www.farmaid.org.
The semicolon punctuation mark is the symbol of Project Semicolon, a nonprofit dedicated to mental health awareness and suicide prevention. Organizers chose the semicolon because “it represents a sentence the author could have ended but chose not to. The author is you, and the sentence is your life.” www.projectsemicolon.com.