Remarkably, her hand remained steady and skilled as a graphic artist until her final days.

These paintings often carry a philosophical depth, exploring concepts such as the cycle of life, eternity, and immortality.

Daphne Odjig’s profound contributions to Canadian culture have been widely recognized and celebrated. She was awarded the Order of Canada and the Order of British Columbia and honored with the National Aboriginal Achievement Award and the Governor General's Laureate in Visual and Media Arts—Canada's highest accolade in the visual arts field. Additionally, she was an elected member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (R.C.A.).

In a notable tribute to her artistic achievements, Chief Wakageshig presented her with the Eagle Feather on behalf of the Wikwemikong Reserve. This honor, traditionally reserved for men to acknowledge their prowess in hunting or warfare, was bestowed upon her to recognize her exceptional contributions to art.

Throughout her life, Daphne Odjig received a wide range of accolades and was the subject of numerous books and at least three documentaries, further underscoring her significant impact on the cultural landscape.

The works of the self-taught artist are now housed in prestigious collections including the Indigenous Art Centre at Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, the National Gallery of Canada, the McMichael Gallery, the Canadian Museum of History, Wilfrid Laurier University, the Kamloops Art Gallery, the Winnipeg Art Gallery, Gevik Gallery, El Al Airlines, and numerous other public and private collections. Her paintings have been showcased internationally, with exhibitions in New York, Los Angeles, Amsterdam, Tokyo, and Lahr, Germany.

Daphne Odjig passed away on October 1, 2016, gently fading into the brilliant and vibrant colors of a Canadian autumn.

Bonnie Devine, artist, curator, and writer, as well as Associate Professor in the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies and Founding Chair of the Indigenous Visual Culture Program at OCAD University, wrote at that time:

In 1945, Daphne Odjig, the daughter of a World War I veteran, found love with Paul Somerville, a veteran of the Second World War. The couple moved to British Columbia, where Paul started his own strawberry farm. They married, and Daphne became a stepmother to Paul’s son, David. In 1948, they welcomed another son, Stanley, into their family.

Inspired by this reconnection, Daphne Odjig began a new series of artwork featuring Nanabush, the half-human, half-spirit hero from indigenous oral traditions, known as the son of the West Wind and great-grandson of the Moon.

In 1971, she brought these stories to life by illustrating and retelling ten children’s books, collectively titled Tales of Nanabush.

Themes of family, motherhood, and childhood are especially poignant in her work, reflecting her own experiences growing up in a loving and nurturing home and her roles as a devoted wife and mother. Her artworks radiate a profound sense of warmth and tenderness.

In 1968, Daphne Odjig's art was showcased in a subsequent exhibition in Brandon, promoted by Bernard Polly of the Brandon University Art Exhibition Committee, with support from the Manitoba Indian Brotherhood.

Following her exhibitions, Daphne Odjig received two significant commissions. The first was a painting Earth Mother, created for the Canadian pavilion at Expo '70 in Osaka, Japan, where it caught the attention of Pablo Picasso.

In 1971, Daphne and her husband relocated to Winnipeg, Manitoba's main city and a crossroads between the cultures of Western and Eastern Canada.

In Winnipeg, Daphne Odjig connected with fellow Indigenous artists and created works that reflected the inequalities she had experienced during her youth, particularly those encountered while seeking employment.

At one point, she even temporarily changed her last name to something that sounded less distinctly Indigenous to navigate the challenges she faced.

During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Native artists still felt excluded from the mainstream Canadian art world. Despite Expo 67 in Montreal marking a significant cultural advancement, contemporary Indigenous art was still confined to a separate "Indians of Canada" pavilion, rather than being integrated into the broader exhibition.

This separation highlighted the ongoing challenges Indigenous artists faced in gaining recognition within the wider art community.

The Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec, proudly displays one of Daphne Odjig’s most renowned works, *The Indian in Transition*. This 8-meter mural is often compared to Picasso's famous Guernica for its expressive power.

The painting serves as a symbolic representation of the history of Canada’s Indigenous peoples, capturing a pivotal moment for cultural revival and renewal.

Daphne Odjig and Chester Beavon established Odjig Prints of Canada Ltd. in Winnipeg with the mission of integrating Native art into mainstream Canadian culture. They began with a modest print store that offered artwork and prints by talented Indigenous artists, alongside First Nations crafts and books of their legends and stories.

The journalist Gary Scherbain (1942 – 2021), who later became the owner of the Wah-sa Gallery (formerly
the Warehouse Gallery), coined the term "The Indian Group of Seven." This title has since become the most recognized name associated with the group.

By presenting First Nations art across the country, these exhibitions quickly integrated Indigenous art into the broader Canadian art scene, providing Native artists with a renewed sense of relevance and creative freedom.

In the late 1970s, Daphne and Chester moved back to British Columbia, where Daphne Odjig had first gained recognition as an artist in 1963 and had become a member of the British Columbia Federation of Artists.

This return marked one of the most productive periods of her career. She was now able to build a spacious studio, providing her with the opportunity to create large frescoes that explored historical and philosophical themes.