This painting represents how important it is to maintain a deep connection to the land and environment. The land (turtles) has helped many Indigenous people on “Turtle Island” heal their past and current traumas and keep their connection to the ancestors. The bear is considered a healer. Thus, the bears walk around the Métis sash circling the sun.                                              

-Leah Marie Dorion

Leah Marie Dorion is a Métis writer and artist currently living near Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada. Her artwork celebrates the strength and resilience of Indigenous women and families.  Leah is also a published children's book author and illustrator. Several of her Métis cultural books are available through Gabriel Dumont Press in Saskatoon. Her art and writing explore Métis cultural issues of identity, history, worldview, and cultural healing resilience.