By Leah Pelletier, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Rocky Mountain Outlook CANMORE – Tara Beaver watches cattle graze in the field near her home in Mînî Thnî. The mothers care and lead their young, and from afar, the Îyârhe Nakoda artist and poet takes note, turning her observations into her latest sculpture and poetry project. “Cows are matriarchal,” said Beaver. “All the bulls don’t stay in the pen with all the mothers, and the mothers help each other to rest and they take turns.” With a cow skull as her canvas, Beaver uses paint, flowers and a dreamcatcher to create a sculpture that reflects on matriarchal roles and the deep connection she has to the land and the animals sustained by it. “I didn’t understand a lot of things until I…







