Lethbridge College student talks about taking seat in Parliament as part of historic initiative

A Lethbridge College student has returned home from the trip of a lifetime after being chosen to attend a historic national initiative in Ottawa called Daughters of the Vote.

Tiana Weasel Moccasin and 337 other young women – all between the ages of 18 and 23 – were chosen to represent their federal ridings and communicate their visions for Canada earlier this month.

“I got to talk about everything that I’ve learned from my grandparents, from my mom, from my family and I really felt empowered,” Weasel Moccasin said.

From March 5 to March 10, the delegates had the opportunity to speak with female leaders from the House of Commons, learn about indigenous rights, how to run for office and speak about issues important to them.

READ MORE: Alberta’s ‘Daughters of the Vote’ delegates discussing women in politics

“For me, the education system… should be rewritten and honestly, I feel like an aboriginal person should write it because we are very oppressed and a lot of our traditions, cultures and language are not represented in a good way, or the right way,” Weasel Moccasin said.

Weasel Moccasin says she’s also passionate about missing and murdered aboriginal women and the fentanyl crisis on First Nations reserves.

“When I was in Grade 11, one of my friends became an orphan because of this drug and I have relatives who work as EMTs who face this drug everyday,” she said.

Growing up, Weasel Moccasin says she didn’t always feel empowered.

“Sometimes I felt ashamed to be native and a girl and I felt like my voice didn’t matter,” she said.

The 18-year-old grew up in Lethbridge, going to school like any normal kid.

But she says after experiencing a racist comment by one of her teachers in Grade 10, she left the city to finish her education at Kainai High School.

Now, the Lethbridge College student says she’s found her voice after returning from Ottawa.

The initiative in Ottawa was organized by Equal Voice, a national organization dedicated to electing more women to all levels of political office. The initiative was meant to mark the 100th anniversary of women’s formal political engagement in 2016, along with Canada’s upcoming 150th birthday.

Weasel Moccasin says the experience has inspired her to one day consider a career in politics to continue encouraging other young indigenous women who want to make a change in their community.