Our thanks to Leah Marie Dorion for sharing her artwork with us for our 2026 Symposium, “Reimagining Goddess Scholarship: At the Edges of Sacred Knowledge.”
The program for this event reframes knowledge transmission and curation and promotes new connections and relationships among people, animals, and the green world. Leah’s painting, “Passing Water Forward” beautifully conveys the intention and spirit of our program, as sacred knowledge is passed from one generation to another..
Leah Marie Dorion is a Metis writer and artist currently living near Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada. Her artwork celebrates the strength and resilience of Indigenous women and families, and echoes the beauty found in traditional beadwork. Leah is also a published children’s book author and illustrator. Leah has a passion for early year’s education and is currently working with the Metis Nation of British Columbia (MNBC) to develop Metis cultural early years resources for children and families. She has also participated as a mentor and lead artist for the Mann Art Gallery Indigenous Residency Project. She is a proud member of CARFAC which is the national voice of Canada’s professional visual artists. Visit www.leahdorion.ca for more information about her artistic practice.
About this painting, Leah says “This artwork features Indigenous women gathering water from the river. The gathered water is carried within sacred vessels to represent the passing forward of knowledge about the land and water through the generations. There is a baby in a cradleboard on the mother’s back and a young girl helping to draw up the river water into her vessel to emphasize that water is necessary for life to blossom, grow, and flourish in this world.
“Holding a vessel of water in our arms, close to our heart, is representative of sharing your wisdom and knowledge to guide future generations. The Canadian Geese flying in the sky are a symbol about how important it is to find direction in life and work together as a community for the highest good of all.”
In this beautiful video, Leah discusses her artistic vision.