Meet the matriarch who raised one of Canada's leading Indigenous water advocates

Stephanie Peltier lost her mother less than half a year ago, the woman who taught her unconditional love and gave her the strength to raise three daughters as a single mother.

"If I could have just had a few more minutes with her, I would have told her that I really, really loved her and I was going to miss her," said Peltier.

"This will be my first time not having my mother for Mother's Day."

Peltier is fromWikwemikong First Nation and lives in Ottawa.Naomi, 23, is heroldest daughterand is attending university.Her youngest, Ciera,is 15and her mothersaid she is positive and has a strong spirit.

Her middle daughter, 16-year-old Autumn,is known for her water activism and her role asthe Anishnabek Nation's chiefwater protector. Stephanie Peltier maintains Autumn's schedule andtravels all over the globe with her while also making sure that she has a chance to be a normal teenager.

"I think what inspires me the most about my mom is the fact that she is a single mother and that she's raised three daughters on her own," said Autumn Peltier.

"Considering how far she's come without the dependence of a man is honestly incredible."

She said her mother is who she looks up to, and she turned to her mother and said:"What you've taught me, the type of woman you are, is shown through me and my sisters."

WATCH: Autumn Peltier talks about what her mom means to her:

Autumn Peltier talks about what her mom means to her

3 years ago

Duration 3:17

Stephanie Peltier is passing on the teachings she learned from her mother to her three daughters.

Becoming the matriarch

Stephanie Peltier said her mother,Martia Mandamin-Peltier, taught hermany things and so did her aunt Josephine Mandamin. Mandaminwas Autumn's biggest inspiration for her activism.She was a wateractivist and a founding member of the water protectors movement.

Her mother was buried beside her aunt,and Peltier said that as she was looking down at them together she thought how those were the women that she had looked to every day for guidance. She said she realized then, looking at her own daughters, that she's that person now.

"Being an Indigenous woman and understanding where we come from and who my people are and who my matriarchs are, those were very strong women," she said.

She saidher mother, whowas a survivor of Indian day schools, was ahard worker her entire lifeas a professional seamstress and social worker.

"She taught me how to work and she taught me determination," she said.

"My mom is the one who taught me that if you can sew, you'll never go hungry."

Peltier learned to sew ribbonskirts, regalia, quilts and bags.Her mother also told her to be proud of who she is and to always be put together anddressed wellwhen leaving the house.

"I realized later and she told me later, that she was teaching us about discrimination and racism because she said people treatus differently and people look at us differently," said Peltier.

Peltier said that not too long before her mother died, shewas staying the night and wanted to sleep in bed with her. The arthritis she developed made it nearly impossible for her to climb stairs, so Peltier took her in her arms and brought her to bed.

"I thought about that Robert Munsch book that I used to read to the girls all the time," said Peltier.

"That's how it was right up until the end and that's what she was saying, 'I love you, I love you forever.'"

Peltier saidthe greatest gift her mother gave her was love and that it was unconditional.

As a mother, Peltier said she wants to make sure her daughters have all the tools they need when they become mothers and grandmothers. She taught them all to sew, just as her own mother did with her.

She said when she was a young woman, her father told her that "'You only get one chance to be a parent to a child, and you're the role model.'

"You're the mirror and they're the reflection," she said.