My shield through muddy waters

“My Shield Through Muddy Waters” portrays a crocodile emerging from the water, symbolizing resilience, protection, and ancestral strength. In Indigenous traditions, the crocodile is often seen as a spiritual totem that embodies endurance and the ability to navigate uncertainty. By surrounding themselves with images of the crocodile or dressing in its skin, Indigenous peoples believed they could inherit its power and protective gifts. Its tough skin becomes a metaphor for spiritual armor. The patchwork water—composed of layered fabrics—represents the interconnected lives, histories, and experiences that shape us. Together, they evoke the power to move through life’s murky depths with grace and protection, guided by the strength inherited from those who came before.