Tara shares personal details of her own experience of childhood sexual abuse, reflects on her own ability to forgive, and shares action steps she has taken to heal, including passing Tara's Law and creating a state holiday in Montana. Tara Walker Lyons is a professional photographer, a proud Piikunii (Blackfeet), and an outspoken activist for painful issues relating to her tribe and beyond. Born on the Blackfeet reservation and raised in the Bitterroot Valley, Tara has established herself as a prominent voice for tough issues like childhood sexual abuse and missing & murdered Indigenous people. Lyons is a passionate Indigenous leader and survivor of chronic childhood trauma. By working to pass multiple pieces of legislation, speaking to audiences across the country, and sharing her story of survival & strength, Tara has established herself as a prominent voice of change in our State. Tara has worked to reform Montana’s Statute of Limitations laws, created our country’s very first “Sexual Assault Survivor’s Day” in Montana, and passed a law aimed towards educating children in public schools about body safety. It is named 'Tara’s Law' in her honor. Lyons currently lives in Missoula where she raises her two children. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx