Awaakaasoomahka saahmiss siikootahksin Collection

Deer Traveller Medicine Collection

Bridging together traditional knowledge of the Niitsitapi with western scientific practices

The Awaakaasoomahka saahmiss siikootahksin collection was born of a desire to continue the University of Lethbridge’s strong commitment towards Indigenization. With the help of Professor Michelle Hogue (Department of Indigenous Studies) and Instructor Jenny Burke (Department of Biological Sciences), Jesse Clarke (Piikani) initiated this specialized collection in spring of 2024.

Openness and preservation have been the heart of this project from its inception. Housed within the University, the collection has always been handled with the intention of serving as a publicly accessible resource for generations to come. A herbarium collection provides a unique opportunity for traditional knowledge to speak for itself while benefiting from a refined process for preserving and harbouring this knowledge for curious minds to explore.

The stories and traditional knowledge housed within are not of one source they are a culmination of a life’s experience. Niitsitapi knowledge has undergone major disruption, dispersal, and disappearance since contact with the Western world. As a result, some of the questions raised throughout this work, unfortunately, have no currently known answer. Traditionally, knowledge was never recorded, and generations of systemic suppression and the negative consequences associated with practicing traditional ways have made sharing knowledge difficult for many people. As generations progress and the knowledge is not practiced or written down it is lost. The Awaakaasoomahka saahmiss siikootahksin collection has the goal of providing the ethnobotanical knowledge of the Niitsitapi with a lasting home, ensuring it remains accessible for all.