Interview with Dagny Deutchman and ‘Gettin’ in the Groove’ Story

Tell Us Something

Dagny is a 2nd-year graduate student at Montana State University where she is the current coordinator for the Sleep and Development Lab. Dagny grew up in the small town of Salmon, Idaho where she has been a whitewater river guide for the past 12 years. Dagny guides on the Middlefork of the Salmon, which is Shoshone-Bannock tribal land. It is her favorite place in the entire world.

If you can’t find her on the Middlefork of the Salmon, expect to find her with her nose in a book, community building, or project managing somewhere. Dagny’s current research focus looks at the intersection of sleep and positive psychology constructs such as mindfulness and self-compassion. When Dagny isn’t working, you can be sure to find her with a paintbrush, on a dancefloor, or cooking good food for good friends.

In 2019, Dagney organized the Stories of Salmon and Steelhead project for the Idaho Conservation League.

Dagny’s story was recorded in front of a live audience on March 29th, 2016, at The Wilma in Missoula, MT. The theme that evening was“Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Me?”. Dagny calls her story “Gettin’ In The Groove”.

Dagney, guiding a river trip on the Salmon River, tries her best to be empathetic to Ken, a client who is having difficulty adapting to being outside in such an unfamiliar environment.