My loom is made of saskatoon branches. I searched for straight branches in the river valley in Willow Creek, Alberta. I walked along the Old Man River and felt surrounded by the grandmothers. Many stories came to me as I offered tobacco and harvested the branches, asking them to hold my story, inviting them to join this project.

The first yarn I used is dark green, representing my birth at Christmas time. The thick yarn describes my steady, stable home that was filled with so much love. I reflected on my childhood throughout this journey, and was filled with gratitude, and awareness of what a gift it was. My grandparents are woven throughout my piece, as they still are so close to me. Their teachings, and encouragement have stayed with me to this day. They also lived in the area where I gathered my branches and I feel the connection through the roots of these trees. 

I braided and then wove a brown yarn. This is to represent my own 3 children and husband. Our family story that is my life. The braid was beautiful before it was added, but became a layer of stability and a foundation for the expression I added after. The earth colors from the Blackfoot people are represented in the red, orange and yellow rows. This is to tell the story of my Indigenous family, the teachings I have received and the great responsibility I feel to honor the ways I have been shown. I added turquoise to represent Creator, my spiritual journey. As I wove this project, I had to let go of control, allow the imperfections to show themselves, and lean into the unknown. I restarted several times, trying to make it better, and finally just went for it, row after row. As the loom filled in, I saw a story appear; one filled with joy, even as I reflected on struggle, disappointments, or sadness I have encountered. I feel the strong loom that created me as I seek bravery, wisdom and an open heart in my life. What a gift this project has been.