Saagajiwe Totem, size 11 seed beads on wool melton, 2023.

Saagajiwe Totem is made up of four human figures facing the One Dish icon in the center. The visual represents Indigenous heritage in the Great Lakes derived from ancient Wendat-Huron iconography. The peacemaker in ancient times told the Wendat-Huron peoples and the League of Five Nations peoples about a tree of peace planted on their land, with the white roots of the tree reaching in four directions around the world. Saagajiwe Totem visually honours the tree of peace narrative as a place where people come together and learn Indigenous knowledge about eating, healing, and protection from oppression and help each other live a good life. The word totem is derived from the Anishinaabemowin word nindoodem meaning clan. Saagajiwe Totem represents kinship with the four directions and with all of creation. The totem was designed collaboratively by Justine Woods, Joginder Singh, and Dr. Michael Doxtater. The design process included iterations of multiple colour ways and design details, landing on the final design representing Saagajiwe’s new journey. The gradience in the background visually speaks to Saagajiwe’s birth and linguistic meaning of first ray of light.

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Saagajiwe Totem was commissioned by Dr. Michael Doxtater, Director of Saagajiwe, Centre for Participation, Action, and Research in Indigenous Creative Practice in The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University.