THE LAND I LOVED, THE TRUTH I LEARNED

The Land I Loved, The Truth I Learned is Kateri Tavenner’s personal story of faith, persistence, and a lifelong determination to keep asking questions when the answers did not make sense.

Growing up with a family that she says experienced intimidation involving New Mexico law enforcement, Kateri learned an important lesson early: keep the evidence. Her brother recorded conversations on cassette tapes, beginning a pattern that would follow her throughout her life.

Years later, her experiences led her to question law enforcement reports, advocate for vulnerable adults, work with families of children with IEPs, and raise concerns about where money intended to help vulnerable people was actually going.

While working as a guardian, Kateri says she began recognizing financial irregularities and repeatedly tried to bring her concerns to authorities. Her persistence eventually led her to contact federal authorities. Ayudando Guardians later became the subject of a major federal fraud prosecution involving millions of dollars taken from vulnerable clients.

Her work with families connected to Albuquerque Public Schools raised another question: If taxpayers paid for a program, where was the program? Those experiences taught her to use her computer and research skills to examine records, build timelines, compare information, and follow the money.

But this isn't simply a story about corruption.

It is also a story about faith.

Through fear, frustration, threats, unanswered questions, and closed doors, Kateri says her belief in God gave her the strength and guidance to continue.

Her brother taught her to press record.

Life taught her to press search.

Experience taught her to follow the money.

And God taught her to pray.

Set against the New Mexico landscape she still loves, The Land I Loved, The Truth I Learned is one woman's deeply personal account of questioning authority, protecting vulnerable people, searching for evidence, and refusing to stop seeking the truth.