Frankie D’s mom Event

September 23, 2026

-sharing what I wrote for this event in Canmore  got Frankie D’s mom Event.

A horse that stands alone dies.
Herds do this when a horse is sick or hurt
They get left to die.
Socially humans need connection like a herd to survive
Psychologically endeavoured for survival

To have emotional well being is to feel.
to be apart of herd so to say community
A circle that looks out for you.
Defends you.
Provides protection while sleeping
Moves together to get our needs met.
So you can be you, I can be me and apart of the herd
Somewhere to finally fit in a full circle
Using the unique skills of being diverse in community
People from different ethnic inhabitants collaborative perspectives of what we would call home and ours ?
Isn’t this the  first step to a strong team in communicating, don’t you think?

With my story I want to share so much.
If I shared everything I’ve been through
Systematically isolated from human connection
An interpersonal association of understanding our place here.
You would wonder why I’m still standing here
I call it lateral trauma and overlapping grief
Lateral violence ?

I grew up with policy to my identity called Indian status
I am also discriminated against from my community
The irony
What I struggle with is identity due to band code.
I know because my girls should automatically have band membership but they don’t.
The band membership code was designed to get rid of the women.
Have you heard of MMIW?
So when it comes to policy.
We have natural law on the concepts of balance
But policy is what divides us
Like that fence, a bunch of squares overlapping different boundaries, with a few gates.
Why is it hard for someone like me to receive a home where my mom raised me ?

I grew up going to school in Cochrane while living on the reserve of Morley.
I thought I could leave my community and be apart of society, which I did with work when I was young and single
As a mother to adapt and belong is difficult
But you know policy makes it impossible
How can I live in Cochrane or Canmore for 6 months than apply for housing
Recently I went to work for a govt entity
They hired me due to being native
How I can help them with my skills…And I did.
I thought they wanted my unique twist on how I operate?
But with people full of degrees, they used their tactics to plagiarize me.
They created a policy from my presence
I was all alone but I had to play chess
I used my horse mentally to see how they moved.
I acted dumb because you know I’m trying to feed my kids as a single mother.
Like Nakoda Bear, her story resonates.
My heart has been through so much.
I lost a child to Sid’s
Don’t get me started on policy with health care.
I liked using the benefits from working a full time job, you know
Finally I felt respect!!!
They treated me better than my Indian status!
But all came to an end just before my probation was up.
Unfortunately this isn’t the only place I created something then got the boot.

I grew up the only native in school so sharing my culture and who I am has been a part of me since elementary school.
My mom got a phone call one day wondering why I brought a chunk of butter and dry meat for lunch.
How do you explain that as a mother,
I get sad because my kids don’t know what dry meat is!
So food has been a thing for me on how to connect cultures, trying new food.
I often wonder how immigrants feel?
When someone is interested in their food? Culture?
I love exploring food from different ethnic groups
It’s a way for me to travel for a moment into someone’s food away from their home…
I’m landlocked so connection with the people is how I explore the world.
Through their eyes and stories

Growing up, Ive heard it all from a lot of people
But somehow
I feel stuck in the middle… in the middle of what?
Like sitting on the fence
So I’m standing here to express my thoughts in a way that just makes sense to me….
Like to sit in a circle and not a systematic pyramid
When truth and reconciliation came out,
I finally thought yes, reconnecting to the land and community.
Wrong again.
I can’t find a job for these types of roles
The ongoing battle of identity and resources.
I get called Metis.
I’m Stoney with a mix of both worlds
Where the mountains are scared
A food source without the money,
I am royalty. Right?
So I thought…..
What was truth and reconciliation for ?
Clearly I missed the memo?
Engineered scarcity leaving me to think I’m the problem.
Well if we teach our kids manners, why is it hard as adults to have ? 
I just want to thank you for the opportunity to speak, I hope my story helps you understand a little more.
I wish I was capable of being present as I want to hear from you as well. I love listening to whoever wants to share because it’s fun connecting the dots of understanding. I want to hear YOUR feedback, as I express something so complex in a few mins. I expect the same in return. Its how we learn from you to me and me to you
Arts place was a question in a email years go, now i’m happy I get to be a part of arts place in action.
With orange shirt day coming up, stay tuned on my blog as I will explain what orange shirt day means to me.

Thank you for your time
Miss. Tara