Renée Littlebird
Artist, Author, Activist
Who Is Renee Littlebird?
Renée Littlebird’s life had been as colourful and vibrant as her art and writing. Born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, she was raised in the beautiful diversity of Southern Edmonton, in the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. An avid outdoor enthusiast and volunteer in her local community, stories, design and family have been her inspiration. As an eighth-generation Brit-Canadian Renée has a passion for Canadian environmental, domestic, and indigenous issues and has worked as a consultant and advocate for them all. Though she’s best known as a community mentor, artist, and writer, her formal education in biological sciences, native studies, linguistic anthropology, elementary special education, economic and environmental ethics, has equipped her with a distinctive worldview.
Art and Inspiration
Renée’s earliest artistic influences come from her father who was himself an artist and worked in the publishing field. Cartooning as a child her mother said that she always wanted to tell stories. The ideas for her books and art come from her dreams, her environment, her experiences of Canada's vast multicultural society, and the people whom she has known and loved. The other influences on Renée’s art come from her education and work with Canadian First Nations peoples, in forestry, environmental studies, philosophy, linguistics and religion, and her love of legend and story. One only has to look at her artwork or writing to see elements of all of her compassion, spirituality, and passion for life. As a person who is not neurotypical Renée is blessed to take in all of life, sometimes simultaneously, this adds to that special visceral experience that comes out in her way of expressing the world.
Growing Up & Early Vocations
Renée is the middle daughter of Bruce and Sheila. Her two sisters run companies that serve and help others. Both of Renée's parents have now passed away. Her father worked in the printing industry and was very artistic and musical. Her mother loved helping people as a teacher and a nursing aid. From the time she was eight, Renée was going to be an Anglican nun. Life had other plans for her, though being of service in faith communities and advocating for nature and children’s issues have remained central to her calling. Renée has explored many different world religions in great depth, becoming a full part of many faith communities over time as her own faith evolved to encompass various wisdom traditions.
Renée has always shown leadership skills and has been a team player. She has been a teacher, coach, public speaker, and facilitator: she taught dance, soccer, yoga, computers, ESL, parenting, assertiveness & self-care, and has worked with special needs children and youth in various capacities. Renée has spoken on both spiritual and women's issues all over Canada. To be a teacher, first, Renée had to be a student. She has a passion for daily learning, and she has knowledge and experience of a broad range of subjects, from crickets and carpentry to assistance dog training. She has sat on boards and committees for most of her adult life, only pulling back from that work to write. Renée has a good grasp of the law and has used that knowledge in various occupations and advocacy roles. She’s been a court witness several times and has done quite well, though she's never been arrested. One of the positions that has affected Renée deeply was her work as a children’s program provider at a women’s shelter. This gave he insight later when she became a foster parent and parent to special needs children herself. Today when she isn’t researching her books, she spends her time listening to stories, making art, writing, practicing CAD design, and spending time with her family.
Renée has a special place in her heart for clean water advocacy. She believes that clean water is a basic right and only hopes to someday study water treatment in greater depth than she did in university and become a public advocate for the subject.