BROWNING — It’s no secret that life on the reservation can be challenging. Years of inequality have created webs of generational trauma among some Native American families. Seeking healthcare for this trauma can be expensive.
But one woman is using her platform and voice to provide some relief for free.
Jade-Heather Gobert, also known as ‘Lady Jay,' like many others has been through her fair share of trauma.
She was emotionally abused as a child, and last November, her partner and children’s father was murdered.
Through it all she uses her deep connection to her faith and positivity to remain grounded and help others through mental health crises.
“It’s easier to help the people that you come from because you come from that same perspective,” says Gobert.
Gobert is the first from her family to graduate high school. She’s also the first to attend the University of Montana and she received her master’s from Walla Walla University. Blessed with a breath of education, Gobert returned to the reservation to lend some perspective.
Twice a week, she hosts a radio show broadcasting from the KBWG building airing on 107.5FM. She calls it ‘Lady Jay’s Country Faves and Mental Health Madness’. Her show airs from 9am to 10am.
“I’m able to offer support, guidance and tools,” she says.
Jade-Heather brings new topics to the table every show. Between music by Morgan Wallen, Lainey Wilson and others, she’ll discuss at length such complex issues at lateral oppression, and overcoming debilitating grief, all from the unique perspective of life on the reservation as an American Indian.
“People come up because they recognize the voice, and they'll chat with me about about personal things going on in their lives,” says Gobert.
Despite her successes, Gobert knows not everyone is keen to receive advice, especially from someone they perceive to be an ‘outsider’. In my conversations with Jade-Heather, she familiarized me with the term, ‘Apple Indian’. This moniker is reserved for Natives who leave the reservation, then return to try and better it. Though it seems like a well-intended act, there are those who deeply resent these individuals.
“You know, there's a lot of resistance because a lot of people are still stuck in those, traumatized mindsets. So that's kind of the obstacle that I face for a lot of the time. But I just keep chipping away, chipping away,” says Lady Jay.
A mother to seven children, Gobert says she plans to continue elevating her voice and platform with a podcast in which she will discuss both personal struggles and invite others to share their own. Through story, prayer, and airwave therapy, Gobert fights on to help heal a traumatized population.
