Murielle Borst Tarrant shares her NYC story in 'Tipi Tales from the Stoop'
Share and Follow

As the only Native American in her Brooklyn neighborhood, Murielle Borst Tarrant’s stoop was her sanctuary.

Tarrant grew up on Degraw Street between Court and Smith streets in 1970s Red Hook.

She explained that the entire community was Italian, but the Smith Street vicinity was known as a Puerto Rican stronghold. Since she did not belong to either group, she was frequently mistaken for being of both descents.

Recalling her past, she mentioned how venturing into a candy store on one block would lead to being pursued by Puerto Ricans who assumed she was Italian. Conversely, going to another store would result in Italians chasing her, mistaking her for Puerto Rican.

“And because of that, I wasn’t allowed off my front stoop.”

Her tumultuous yet comical childhood encounters now serve as the inspiration for her solo performance, “Tipi Tales from the Stoop,” set to take place at the Perelman Performing Arts Center in FiDi from January 9-11.

Tarrant recalls her family’s monikers.

“If they liked you, they called you ‘Indian,’ ‘Mr. Indian,’ ‘Mrs. Indian.’ If they didn’t like you, you were called ‘Wahoo’ or ‘Chief,’ she told The Post.

Tarrant, from the Kuna and Rappahannock tribe of Virginia, was born and raised in Red Hook.

“My family migrated to New York City in the 1800s, when Brooklyn was considered the country,” she said.

Her mother still lives in her childhood home, which was purchased by her great-grandparents, and legend has it neighbors were against them moving into the borough.

“That’s the tipi tale, as I say in the play, is that there was a petition going around that we wouldn’t buy it,” she said.

Tarrant, the artistic director of Safe Harbors NYC, an initiative that promotes indigenous performing arts, recalls that Red Hook was “Mafia-run” at the time.

“These were very nice guys in nice suits who bought tickets to our raffles, who gave money at our weddings and funerals,” she said.

With the mob in town, there was no crime, and things like parking tickets went away.

“I think one time in my whole life, my friend Johnny, who owned a pizza parlor on the corner, got his bike stolen. It was just like the biggest crime ever,” she said.

“And if someone got a ticket in front of a fire hydrant, someone would come and say to the cop, ‘Hey, we don’t do that here,’ and they’d take the ticket and rip it up. For years I used to park in front of the hydrant. One time, I got a ticket, and I was so upset and was like, ‘What has happened to this neighborhood?’”

Tarrant, who lives in New Jersey now, began planning her show prior to the pandemic with her husband, Kevin, the director of the NYC nonprofit the American Indian Community House. Sadly, he died from COVID in 2020 at 51.

She said she used the theme of rage — from her experiences growing up and the death of her spouse — to craft the production.

“My first director was my husband. So as a widow, what do you do with that rage? And for me, it was taking all of that and putting it into my work.”

Tarrant, who also served as chairwoman for the indigenous women’s caucus at the UN, hopes her play sheds light on the Native American experience in the Big Apple — which tends to be left out of history books.

“We have the immigrant experience, the Black experience. But we never talk about the Native experience. We only talk about it way in the past,” she said.

“And I would like everyone to understand that there is a living, breathing, thriving native community here in New York City that has never left. And we’ve always been here and we have survived.

“You know, when New York was New York, before everyone in Ohio ruined it.”

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Key accuser in Alexander brothers rape case dies just one week before federal trial begins: report

Lead Witness in Alexander Brothers’ Federal Trial Passes Away Days Before Court Date: Report

The woman who initially accused Oren and Alon Alexander of rape, a…
Johnny Knoxville announces new movie, clarifies he 'can't get hit in the head anymore'

Johnny Knoxville Reveals Exciting New Film Project, Shares Why He’s Steering Clear of Head Injuries

LOS ANGELES — As excitement mounts for the upcoming release of the…
Supreme Court will hear appeal by maker of popular Roundup weedkiller to block thousands of lawsuits

Supreme Court to Review Roundup Weedkiller Case, Impacting Thousands of Lawsuits

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to review an appeal from Bayer,…
Mariano's has what your need for the ultimate Chicago-style feast for Bears game day

Gear Up for Game Day: Mariano’s Offers Everything for the Perfect Chicago-Style Feast

ByJose Baltierra Saturday, January 17, 2026 4:11PM CHICAGO – As anticipation builds…
Former Iranian prisoners reveal torture horrors as regime kills protesters on sight during crackdown

Iranian Regime’s Brutality Unveiled: Ex-Prisoners Expose Torture Amid Deadly Crackdown on Protesters

As Iran grapples with widespread protests and an intensified security crackdown, former…
Hands-free driving bills have been filed in Florida. Here's what to know

Florida Moves Towards Safer Roads: New Hands-Free Driving Legislation Introduced

Efforts are underway to toughen Florida’s laws against texting and driving. TAMPA,…
Would-be assassin, 22,' caught threatening to kill VP at Disneyland'

22-Year-Old Arrested for Allegedly Threatening Vice President’s Life at Disneyland

A 22-year-old resident of California is accused of issuing alarming threats of…
National Guard troops will likely remain in DC through 2026, official says

National Guard Presence in Washington, D.C. Expected to Continue Until 2026, Official Reports

In a strategic move to maintain security in the nation’s capital, National…