I had attended 4 years of University and obtained a Bachelor of Arts. I had a minor in Indigenous studies. So after getting my BA I went to College for Social Work and when the time came to pick an internship I immediately applied for the Indigenous Centers in my area. I spent 4 years learning about the history of oppression towards Indigenous people in my country and really thought that would give me some kind of insight into what I was walking into. It didn't.

One thing the centre did was a "grocery lottery" every Wednesday and one week I was tasked with buying the groceries for the event. I went to my local grocery store and bought what I thought were the staple of diets-I was actually really nervous and called my fiance to come help me. At the end of the day I felt really accomplished and delivered all the groceries because I wasn't set to return until next week. However, when I came in next week my supervisor told me that I went to a "high end" grocery store that most people couldn't afford. Even though I stayed in budget it was advisable to buy the lower quality items so that there was more to last because in reality, I was buying for people who NEEDED this food-not someone just trying to pad a shopping list (as I had been doing). At the end of the day it built a bit of animosity in the community because fresh fruits were a commodity and those that didn't win felt slighted. That day I realized my "budget" shopping was an extravagance to some and it just kind of changed my whole outlook.