b'Message fromthe PRESIDENT T H EA L L - E N C O M PA S S I N G POWER OF ARTDawn Lavell-Harvard T he current President, ONWA pandemic has forced us to re-evaluate onwa.ca whats truly important in our lives. It @ONWA7 makes us think about how long weve taken for granted @_ONWA_ the simplest of gestures, such @onwa_official as giving someone a hug. In these times of crisis, we understand more deeply the fundamental importance of human connection.We will need to look beyond a conventional path back to the world we once knewa world before COVID-19. In particular, we need to support healing in the months and years ahead. We are closer as a shared humanity when our art has the power to uplift all our lives moving forward.I get lost in the wavesPainting by young artist Autumn Cooperfeeling the ebb and flowwaxing and waning This struggle is also about our collective survival these words are my air and the need to set aside our differences and our attachments to misguided beliefs and institutional-art replaces my lungs ized thinking. Most importantly, our continued the paint is my bloodneed to address and honour Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) cannot the blank canvas doesnt judge be forgotten amid the ongoing pandemic. Whether come get lost in the waves from the perspective of creator or observer, art will continue to inspire us in this important task.feel the ebb and flow In my role at Trent University, Ive been honoured wax and wane to see the resilience of our youth as they share the stories of the struggles that have inspired their work. -Thamer Linklater Autumn Cooper describes her art as an outlet for me to process all my anxieties and the stress that Ontario Native Womens Association7'