From Brush to Battle: Illustrating Indigenous Water Protectors

Hello, wonder seeker!

My name is bailey, and I’m an agender cree, metis, and ukrainian interdisciplinary artist from Snuneymuxw territory.

This is the story of how I came to illustrate my first book, Minnow: The Girl Who Became Part Fish, which published this spring.

Minnow tells the story of a young Indigenous water protector who travels through the ocean and speaks with the creatures suffering due to human activities like overfishing and underwater pipelines.

Today, I see myself reflected in Minnow’s journey, and how the support of her friends, family and community leads her to where she needs to be.

But the very first I time I heard about Minnow, I was afraid.

A Fish Out of Water

Two years ago, author Willie Pol reached out to me to see if I’d be interested in illustrating her book, and the idea seemed very daunting.

I felt early in my career, and I didn’t know if I could complete such a large project.

As I returned to the story, however, I connected more and more strongly with Minnow, and her connection to the natural world around her.

Having grown up in the heart of the Salish Sea, I spent my childhoods on the shores of the south-central coast of what is now so-called Vancouver Island, where the Snuneymuxw First Nation have resided since time immemorial.  

I hunted for crabs, played with seaweed, and looked for sand dollars. I swam in the ocean, ate picnic lunches, and sat still in the sea air.

Today, I still love to go down to the shore and feel the wind in my hair and see if I will be visited by sea otters. Watching them splash and play in the water brings me such joy.

I loved how Minnow’s story brings complicated world issues to a child audience in a way that’s not condescending or scary but is instead uplifting with its message: that when we overcome the hyper-individualist nature we’ve been taught is best, we are stronger together than we are alone.

The people in my community believe that everything is communal—to be shared and distributed amongst each other.

But it wasn’t until the lockdown when I was desperate to make new connections with people that I learned that lesson when it comes to my art.

When my first CERB payment arrived, I purchased an iPad, hoping it would help me expand my digital skills and create more interdisciplinary art that could bring me into more community.

After all, art had always helped me feel connected to others.

Life Imitates Art

I’ll never forget the day in 1998 when my mother drove me to Victoria to the Royal BC Museum to see a DaVinci exhibit.

Each floor was curated with his designs, artwork, and creations. I learned how he engaged in mirror writing as a way to code his journals. His mind fascinated me, and I was so curious how one person was capable of so many vast and varied creations.

As a child, I would paint with my grandmother at her kitchen table nearly every day. Together, we’d watch The Joy of Painting and follow along, amassing huge collections of humble watercolours over the years as we tried to capture the beauty of the natural world.

As an adult, when I felt vulnerable and scared to share my art, I thought of my grandmother, and how she never gave up on herself. I started sharing my new work online, and the response I received was tremendous.

I connected with an entire community of Indigenous artists. Soon, I acquired enough freelance job opportunities to survive off them alone.

And today, I’m proud to know and name the people who’ve directly impacted my life and career.

I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for people like Cole Pauls, who invited me to be part of his beautifully curated Indigenous newspaper comic anthology Salmon Run, or Whess Harman, the first Indigenous person to hire me for a commission through their zine, Together Apart, and who included me in a small group show during their solo exhibition Chew the Bones, They’re Soft at open space gallery in Victoria.

My cousin Adele maskwaiskwew Arseneau has supported me emotionally and spiritually throughout my art practice and suggested I apply for the Geoff McMurchy Artist Development Grant through Kickstart Disability—which I won!

These people and so many others have offered me a seat at many of the tables they’ve been invited to. I hope to continue this tradition and uplift those around me who could benefit from such support.

I encourage other wonder seekers to, like Minnow, listen to your inner voice, your deepest desires, and aim high.

You never know where you may end up if you do!

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Celebrate Indigenous History Month.

From illustrating Indigenous Water Protectors, to harvesting food sovereignty, to fighting climate change, to developing exhibits at Science World, these Indigenous trailblazers are making amazing contributions to the world of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art & design, and math).