Titled Spirit of the Mississippi (Mississippi Water Protector), this work is a symbolic portrait of the fight for Indigenous water rights in the United States. The central figure is a female water protector; from her hands the veins of the Mississippi River flow out and around her. She is depicted as floating within a blue orb, which is representational of planet earth. The Mississippi can be thought of as the central nervous system of North America and its health is inextricably connected to the health and wellbeing of all living beings. This work seeks to engage the community in discussion and reflection on the power of water in our lives and the urgent need to protect this precious resource.