Title: "Tekakawitha" Saint Kateri Tekakawitha - Lilly of the Mohawks

Artist: Laura Dieter

Tribal Affiliation: Cree/Saulteaux from Peepeekisis First Nation in Saskatchewan

Year Completed: 2022

Medium: Acrylic on Canvas, mixed media

Dimensions (HxWxD): 24inch x 34 inch

Description/Inspiration:

The meaning behind this painting is to bring awareness to sex trafficking and to our murdered and missing indigenous women. The painting was painted to look like the stained glass in the church and Tekakwitha as representative of all indigenous women as elevated to status of a saint, she represents all indigenous women in the sight of our Creator, High and lofty, Holy and beloved.

Artist Bio/Statement:

Born and raised on the Peepeekisis Cree Nation, Southern Saskatchewan in the Treaty Four area of southern Saskatchewan. I am Cree/ Saulteux and German blood. My family consisted of Treat four Chief signatories ( Chief Okanese) and leaders whom shaped and lead the way for our family on many levels. My parents were strong believers in education and business and taught us the value of hard work and determination. Both my parents were residential school survivors and I am a Dayschool survivor of the Peepeeksis Dayschool on our reserve. I endured many abuses and hardship growing up on the reserve. Poverty, isolation, addictions and violence consisted of my early years. My parents having been survivors, pulled themselves out of the cycle and became successful business and community leaders. This allowed our family to have a better quality of life.

My Mother was a social worker having been educated and worked with the provincial government. Her path I would follow. I wanted justice and watching her fight for families and social injustice had a profound impact on my path. My Father would become headman for our family on the reserve. It carried a role in the council on our reserve. He was one of many leaders in our family. My grandfather was chief for many years, as well as Uncles and Aunts would carry the title of Chief, Headman and leaders in leading Indigenous organizations even today.

Truth and Reconciliation is my passion as a result. To empower the voices of those still in the cycle and victims of the colonist system we had had to live in. To give a voice for the children. To reunite families and bring healing to communities. To work and heal side by side with our non-indigenous brothers and sisters on the path for reconciliation and Truth.

The only way for a community to thrive, for true healing to start, is to walk side by side and accept our differences. To learn of our journeys and to reconcile past hurts by educating and celebrating our diversity. My passion is to bring hope and community together in breaking free of systems that are broken and take ownership in empowering the family to make decisions for themselves in the best interest of their children.

The Seven Grandfather teachings teach us this. They are the principle of character that the Anishinaabe people taught to live by: Love respect, Bravery, Truth, Honesty, Humility and Wisdom. As a fellow Indigenous women, I stand by my Brothers and Sisters in acknowledgement of the land I am privileged to live and work on. The Unceded Algonquin Territory.

Meegwiich,

Laura Dieter (Dominique)

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