Peltier’s late great aunt, Josephine Mandamin, held the position of Chief Water Commissioner before her and educated Peltier about the sacredness of water and the importance of preserving fresh water for present and future generations.  Her great aunt was the originator of “water walks” -- a tradition that has continued to happen all over the country and involves walking around bodies of water to honour the spirits that protect it, making offerings, singing songs and saying prayers.  Peltier’s great aunt taught her that women are born as protectors of water since they are the ones that bring forth life.  Peltier has carried on her great aunt’s legacy, an impressive feat for someone so young.

I chose to use a black and white photo of Autumn Peltier, taken by Linda Roy, as the focal point of my painting.  I was immediately drawn to the contrast in the photo, emphasized by the black “oil” dripping down the sides of her eye.  Roy explained to me that the decision to use the black paint was to symbolize the dire situation of unclean drinking water in so many communities.  The effect is quite striking and Peltier’s expression is penetrating, serious, challenging, innocent, wise, and beautiful all at once.  The fact that she was only 13 when this was taken seems inconceivable because her gaze holds the conviction and resolve of an elder, something I’m sure is the result of being instilled with the traditions, stories, and values of her Anishinabek Nation.

The image in colour of Autumn Peltier on the left of the canvas was inspired by her visit to the First Nations assembly in 2016, where she confronted Justin Trudeau in person about his failure to secure clean drinking water for Indigenous communities.  I was struck by her tearful plea and her courage to look the Prime Minister in the eye and hold him accountable for his poor water management in Canada.  Her gaze looks upwards which also directs the viewers’ eye to the larger black and white Peltier.  The black oil that cascades down the larger face reflects Peltier’s concern for the threat that pipelines are to the few clean water resources that remain.  In this smaller coloured portrait, Peltier’s eyes reveal the innocent upset of a 12 year old child but also offer hope that continuing to challenge the policies and their makers will result in long-term change.  

The fact that a child is reprimanding Trudeau for the government’s failure to help Indigenous communities access clean drinking water, especially in Northern communities where boil water advisories are commonplace, is profound.

The other image in colour at the top left of the canvas is a segment from another photo taken by Linda Roy.  I chose to just show Peltier’s hands holding a ceremonial copper pot to emphasize her role as a water protector.  The significance of the copper pot to water walking is its antimicrobial nature -- its ability to help purify the water it holds.  The water that pours out of it helps create movement in the composition by leading the viewer to look down at the smaller portrait of Peltier.  I painted the water splashing out of the pot and onto Peltier’s head to signify the spiritual nature of water, as if it was choosing her to be the Chief Water Commissioner.  I added a soft turquoise glow around her head to help emphasize her connection to water, nature, and her Indigenous roots and that she is the light of the future.  I repeated the turquoise aura above the copper pot to create harmony and to illustrate the life and soul of the water.  

It is clear that Peltier has a connection to her environment and is a force to be reckoned with.  Her journey to advocate for clean drinking water has been documented in a film called The Water Walker, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2020.  Peltier has also been nominated several times for the Children’s International Peace Prize.  Her advocacy for Indigenous communities and our waterways has not gone unnoticed.

I hope this painting is a reminder that it is our youth that have to live with the consequences of our actions towards the planet and each other, but it is also our youth that bring energy and hope for a brighter future.  Like Peltier herself said, “We can’t drink money and we can’t eat oil”.  

Autumn Peltier’s activism and leadership on preserving clean water and her insight into the environmental racism that is so pervasive against Indigenous communities is truly eye-opening.  It is also a sober reminder that the Indigenous communities the Canadian government tried to destroy and assimilate in the past are the very communities that are still struggling to survive today.  Perhaps if more people and policy makers “warriored up”, and recognized that water is the life-blood of the planet, like Peltier and her community do, we could enact real change so our children don’t have to.