This mobile application was developed in partnership between the Agility Program, students of the Department of New Media, and the Southern Alberta Blackfoot community. The University of Lethbridge main campus is situated in Treaty 7 Blackfoot Territory. In recognizing the lives lost and survivors of Residential Schools in Southern Alberta, a student-led initiative “Roots of Growth: Reconciliation Tree Planting Ceremony” aims to bring the local and surrounding communities together to heal and reconcile.
Using a combination of augmented reality markers, 3D models, and interactive flip cards (including various media and descriptions), this application fosters deeper interaction through contemporary technology that explore both the Blackfoot and Western interpretations of the plants. With an embedded Google Map, users can locate themselves relative to the locations of the trees that are planted, as well as other artistic sculptures on campus through hotspots.
Significant hotspots are designated with tree icons to represent the Sargent Poplar, Golden Willow, Lodgepole Pine, and Saskatoon Berry Bush; while numbered hotspots indicate various sculptures featured in the Papokan Sculpture Park. Serving as a working template, this mobile application features placeholder content to show the possibilities of a media rich environment for the growing catalog of Blackfoot plants at the University of Lethbridge.
