This 8x10 print is available as a digital download. Simply download from the link sent at purchase and print where you like. Proceeds from the sales of these downloads will be donated to waterfirst.ngo to address challenges of clean water in Canadian Indigenous communities.
 
"Turtle Island is the name many Algonquian- and Iroquoian-speaking peoples mainly in the northeastern part of North America use to refer to the continent. In various Indigenous origin stories, the turtle is said to support the world, and is an icon of life itself. Turtle Island therefore speaks to various spiritual beliefs about creation and for some, the turtle is a marker of identity, culture, autonomy and a deeply-held respect for the environment." - The Canadian Encyclopedia
 
As our family has endeavoured to learn about the history of the Indigenous Peoples of Canada and North America we have become aquainted with various creation stories that refer to North America (and sometimes the world) as Turtle Island. 
 
I am not an Indigenous artist (rather a decendent of white European settlers) but in our journey to learn of the impacts of colonization and in discussing ways with my children that we can honour the Indigenous People of this land we have spent a lot of time researching original Indigenous names of the places we hold dear. 
 
This Turtle Island illustration was born out of a time of reflection on the original inhabitants of this land and during the uncovering of hundreds of graves at Residential Schools in our area. We grieve and we are comitted to further educating ourselves, to learning from the Indigenous voices we are privileged to hear from and to reconcilliation. 
 
(c) Monique Willms of Wonder House Creative
PDF may be printed for personal use. 
All rights belong to Monique Willms. The illustration may not be altered in any way or used on other products. Do not remove artist's initials. Digital PDF or prints made from the PDF may not be sold by anyone other than Monique Willms of Wonder House Creative. 
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