Melissa Shouting

Melissa Shouting is an artist, researcher, and graduate student residing in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. She is a member of the Blackfoot Confederacy from Kainai (Blood) Nation and is of Blackfoot, Plains Cree and Gros Ventre descent. Her art is centered on land-based teachings and storytelling ensuring the renewal of knowledge and techniques that are dependent on the oral history of her kinship alliances within the Blackfoot Confederacy. Melissa utilizes Blackfoot art techniques as a vessel to carry knowledge that will increase the health literacy within her community through the incorporation of examining Blackfoot objects that are currently housed within museums.

She holds an undergraduate degree in Health Sciences majoring in Public Health with a minor in Aboriginal Health and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Health Sciences at the University of Lethbridge. Her research interests include: Indigenous Women’s Health, Gender and Sexual Violence against Indigenous populations, Indigenous Harm Reduction Approaches, and Incorporating Museums and Objects as a means of Health Promotion for Indigenous Peoples.

She is currently working with the Mootookakio’ssin: Blackfoot Digital Project team as a research assistant and is one of the artist leads for the community engagement workshops.

Speaking at:

MuseumNext Digital Summit
Tuesday, 23 February 2021

Mootookakio’ssin: Blackfoot Digital Project

The Blackfoot people have almost no access to their own historical material. Collecting Indigenous objects was a core part of colonial practices. Our project creates detailed digital images of Blackfoot objects in museum in Britain and thereby allows people living in Canada to connect with the knowledge and skills these objects can teach. Mootookakio’ssin (‘distant awareness’) is founded on the core Blackfoot perspective that knowledge is something we have a responsibility to care for and to share. The project aims to support contemporary Blackfoot artists and to build bridges between Blackfoot and non-Indigenous people.

Find the full programme here