WJOLELP garden project
tsartlipfirstnation acollectionofvoices 2014
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In Greetings and Thanks We give thanks to the Land: Original Mother to the waters and the fish life to the food plants and medicines to the animals and the winged relations We give thanks to the trees & the wood to the sun, moon and stars to all gifts of creation and to all of the love which surrounds us To all of the unnamed and forgotten with this, we end our words, and our minds are now one. HISWKE! Huy’Chka! Hiy-Hiy! Marsee! Migwetch!
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We honour the hard work, dedication and knowledge of the community and believe it’s important to share! Through a series of stimulating interviews, with a few of the participants of the garden project, we explored the following questions: 1. What is gardening to you? 2. Why did you join the garden project (any insights, suggestions, reflections)? 3. How do you see gardening in relation to your community’s overall wellness?
Dear Reader, The following words, photos, reflections and insights are from and belong to WJOLELP (Tsartlip) First Nation.The purpose of this report is to illustrate how the WJOLELP (Tsartlip) garden project is directly related to the health of the community; and furthermore demonstrate how the garden project is a meaningful expression of regenerative self-determination and Indigenous Governance. Centered on Noelani Goodyear- Kaopua’s notion that “self-determination can not be divorced from the ability to feed ourselves”, this journal includes a collection of photos and testimonies which demonstrate how the garden project is an important tool to “reconnect to the environment (land), foster a sense of belonging within the community through shared work, empower self-sustenance through the long-term supply of food, and ultimately demonstrate a love and care for the health of your family” (Hayes, 3).
Drawing from the work and insights of community elders and educators, this journal is recommended to those who are interested in integrating critical Indigenous political theories with creative action; in the overall effort to achieve regenerative self-determination and Indigenous nationhood: from the land-up! Erynne Guevara Gilpin Saulteaux-Cree Michif & mixed Filipina/ Irish settler ancestry, Master’s Candidate in the Indigenous Governance Program University of Victoria Designer and Publisher: Kleverson Peruzzo de Urzedo Oliveira Andrade - www.peruzzo.fot.br Contributing Photos from: Myrna Crossley Cathi Charles Wherry Bernice He’weth Smith Erynne Guevara Gilpin Abraham Virgilio Cortez Sandy McElroy Peruzzo Sources: Goodyear-Ka’opua, Noelani. An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples: Rebuilding the ‘Auwai: Connecting Ecology, Economy and Education in Hawaiian Schools. Manoa: University of Hawai’i at Manoa. Web 20 Oct, 2013. http://manoa-hawaii.academia.edu/ NoelaniGoodyearKaopua/Papers (2011). Hayes, Mary. Telling your Group’s Story: Taking part in the 2nd Annual North American Indigenous Food Symposium. Saskatoon, SK., May 30- June 1, 2007
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greetings and thanks: HISWKE! Huy’Chka! Hiy-Hiy! Marsee! Migwetch!
WJOLELP (Tsartlip) First Nation Garden Project: Myrna Crossley and Mary Hayes Special thanks to the outstanding efforts, dedication and creativity of Mary Hayes and Myrna Crossley. For the inspirational attention and care that you invest in your day to day relations and work. You represent that indeed Indigenous women are the backbone of our communities. In the careful and sacred work of returning to the land, you remind us that the seeds we plant connect the lives of our ancestors with those of our children. May your efforts be shared across nations so that others may be inspired to return to the land in a good way.
to decolonization. For the space to explore our own unique gifts, visions and identity in our efforts to restore balance amongst all relations. That we may pass on your teachings and empower others to “live out their natural power and fulfill their fullest responsibility” (Alfred) in all that we do.
To the Lekwungen and Coast Saalish Territories For the patience you have for us and for all of the teachings you offer the moment we return to you. For the plants, medicines, fish, animals, trees, fruits and eagles; for your spiral dance and your life.
To the participants of the interviews and of the garden project.: Judy, Jacqui and Cosiniye, Robert, Bernice, Cathi and MaryEllen. You are the inspiration of this journal and your voices are integral to the wellness and strength of our communities.
Indigenous Governance Program on WSÁNEĆ and Lekwungen Territories (University of Victoria): To Taiaiake Alfred and Jeff Corntassel. For instigating profound thought, action and passion in your students. For providing us with the tools to explore our own sense of accountability to Indigenous nationhood movements and a meaningful commitment
*IGOV emblem: Art work done by Charles Elliot Coast Salish Master Carver, mentor and member of the Tsartlip First Nation: Alfred, Taiaiake, Peace, Power, and Righteousness: an Indigenous manifesto. Don Mills: Oxford University Press (Canada), 1999.
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contents Introduction: Seeds of Strong Healthy Nations
09 erynne guevara gilpin
The Garden Project: A Brief History
12 mary rayes
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Voices of the Community: A Collection of Reflections and Photos
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judy bartleman
jacqui and cosiniye paul
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robert samson
cathi charles wherry
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bernice he'weth smith
mary ellen sampson
In Closing
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final remarks
Mmethodology
resources
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WSÁNEĆ (Tsartlip) First Nation is located on the Saanich Penninsula, in Saanich territory on Vancouver Island. The beautiful inlet is about 30min from the city of Victoria B.C.
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I N T R O D U C T I O N by e r y n n e g u eva r a g i l p i n S a u l t e a u x - C r e e M i c h i f & M i x e d F i l i p i n a / I r i s h S e t t l e r An c e s t r y
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the wisdom we need to move forward in a good way was planted by our ancestors, in returning to the land we can harvest this knowledge and replant good seeds for the generations to come.
Wellness: From the Land- Up
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The wellness of our peoples is dependent upon the wellness of the land. In this way, the connection to land is what determines our ability to self-govern and be well. But what happens when our lands continue to face the ongoing poisoning, dispossession and exploitation of colonial projects? Because Indigenous communities suffer health challenges at higher rates than the Canadian population (Chapman & Mundel, 1) it is essential that our healing practices reflect the healing traditions, teachings and knowledge of the community itself. Canada’s Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples defined healing as: “Personal and societal recovery from the lasting effects of oppression and systemic racism experienced over generations. Many Aboriginal people are suffering not simply from specific diseases and social problems, but also from a depression of spirit resulting from 200 or more years of damage to their cultures, languages identities and self-respect” (RCAP, 1996, section 3). This means that colonization is the root cause for mental, physical, emotional and spiritual illness faced by Indigenous peoples today. Thus, effective approaches to decolonization and therefore insurgent healing requires a restored relationship with the land; and therefore the teachings, knowledge and values which constitute of an Indigenous
identity. Healing can only happen from the land-up. Bob Thomas once described colonialism as the “calculated deprivation of experience”. When we are deprived from a healthy relationship with the land, and furthermore a healthy land-base, we are in fact deprived from what it means to be Indigenous.
Barriers to Wellness: Politics of Distraction Cherokee scholar and activist Jeff Corntassel describes in his article We Belong to Each Other: Resurgent Indigenous Nations, that contemporary colonialism is a type of “politics of distraction”, a process which “attempts to disconnect Indigenous people from their collective and individual roles and responsibilities to land, culture, and community.” Youtube ads, film industry, clothing and music, all manufacture an insatiable hunger within a consumerist capitalist society. These distractions erode both consciously and subconsciously our relationship with our traditional teachings, languages, foods, governance, medicines and most importantly: the Land. The question remains, how then do we return to the land in a good way? This is where land based community initiatives like the WJOLELP (Tsartlip) Garden Project are meaningful forms of self-determination. There are
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young and old hands who continue an intimate relationship with the land, who continue to plant the seeds of ancestral knowledge and prepare the way for generations to come. As Myrna Crossley describes “When we can feed ourselves we can be mentally and physically strong, we can fight back”. When our Nations are strong and healthy we can educate all peoples on how to restore balance amongst all relations. However, how can we honour or care for others around us if we ourselves are not healthy, strong and well?
Regenerative Wellness: A clear mind, strong body and calm heart Iroquois scholar John Mohawk describes the importance of having a clear mind in order to exercise good relations to all relations. He explains that Indigenous peace technologies are able to “express positive relationships to all others- and to recognize that we are not separate from them” (Nelson, 50). A clear mind, healthy body and calm heart are necessary in our commitment to honour all relations. In his book Wasasé, Kanien’kehaka scholar Taiaiake Alfred explains the importance of “health and healing...by rejecting the modern toxic lifestyle, rebel against what they want us to become, start remembering the qualities of our ancestors and act on those remembrances” (Alfred, 32,165). Anishinaabe scholar and activist Winona LaDuke further reminds us that our plant and medicine ancestors also require our attention and relationship. LaDuke shares stories about her people’s relations with corn, wild rice and maple syrup ancestors in her work within traditional food restoration. She explains that the focus of this work is to address “how we re-establish our relationship with our ancestors and these relatives, the ones that have roots”. Another inspiring example of landbased education is from our relatives in the
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islands of Hawaii. Kãnaka Maoli scholar and activist Noelani Goodyear- Ka’opua describes her community’s work in the ‘Aihualama Project as they work to rehabilitate traditional ‘auwai and li’o kalo (wetland taro fields). The restoration is in order to restore a healthy land-base necessary for autonomous economic and agricultural practices. Both LaDuke and Goodyear-Ka ‘opua recognize the importance of land-based education, community work and food sovereignty in the wellness and strength of their communities. The garden project provides the opportunity for families to re-connect to the meaningful work of growing and caring for their own food; and in turn be nourished by the nutrients and spirit of their produce. As a student and helper of the garden program, I can’t help but think about the Mi’kmaq Indigenous warrior, scholar and leader Sajek Ward. Ward reminds us that it is not only necessary to care for the land and for others, but it is our sacred responsibility
In Eating Landscapes, by Enrique Salmón, he reflects that ”eating is a political act” in which we are “eating the memories and knowledge associated with those foods- It becomes a form of mimetic regeneration…” Who’s stories, culture, ceremonies and teachings do we eat in our everyday lives? How are we accountable to the local Indigenous communities who embody land-based memories and wisdom? Food is not merely for consumption. Rather, as Kahlil Gibrand describes:
Insights of: John Mohawk , Taiaiake Alfred , Winona La Duke , Noelani GoodyearKa’opua, Kim Anderson, Phil Gladue, Sajek Ward & Jeff Corntassel
The insights mentioned above demonstrate how Indigenous values, world-views and teachings uphold a complex honour system which ultimately establishes regenerative wellness and balance between land, body and spirit. Okanagan elder Marlowe Sam describes this as a “peace technology”(Nelson, 41). Indigenous knowledge transcends spiritually void western values and economic practice, and recognizes our environment not as a series of objects to be consumed but subjects to be honoured. Community wellness, healing and sovereignty are predicated on the relationship with the land, and therefore can only exist with a healthy land-base.
Food Identity: Ancestral Essence of Our Food Notice the difference in how we feel in when we spend a day outside, gardening, walking or fishing rather than a day in an office, the car or indoors. The land has the ability to calm our hearts, quiet our minds, strengthen our body and connect us to spirit. It provides the foundation for our wellness and for the health of our communities. The Garden Project recognizes that one of the most tangible and effective ways to do this is through the growing of our own food!
“when you crush an apple with your teeth, say to it in your heart, Your seeds shall live in my body, And the buds of your tomorrow shall blossom in my heart, And your fragrance shall be my breath, And together we shall rejoice through all the seasons.” Food is the doorway to cultural enlightenment, meaningful connection, relational accountability and delicious ceremony. It is a meaningful praxis of decolonization and creates a space where important questions can be explored in a good way. Ultimately our relationship with our food establishes theconditions to guarantee regenerative life and knowledge for our future generations. Because sovereignty is “not something you ask for” but “something you do” (Willow 96,) then we have the opportunity to uphold our sacred responsibilities to the land and others in every space of our life. One of the most accessible ways we can honour ourselves and our community is in how we tend, cultivate and live with the land. The garden project provides this opportunity to us. The wisdom we need to move forward in a good way was planted by our ancestors, in returning to the land we can harvest this knowledge and re-plant good seeds for the generations to come.
*Sources are found at the back of the journal!
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T h e
G a r d e n
P r o j e c t
a b r i ef h i s to r y by m a r y h aye s E x c e r p t t a k e n f r o m Te l l i n g y o u r G r o u p ’s S t o r y: Ta k i n g p a r t i n t h e 2 n d A n n u a l N o r t h American Indigenous Food Symposium. Saskatoon, SK., May 30- June 1, 2007
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we h o pe th at th ro u g h e d u cat i o n , supp o r t a n d a ddin g va r i ety to d a i ly fo od ch o i ces, we a s p i re to no u r i sh att i tu d es w h ic h ch a n g e a pp roa ch es to fo o d i n a long - ter m , p os i ti ve a nd h ea lt hy directi o n fo r o u r futu re ge nerat i o n s .
The decision to introduce a garden project came from our response to the increasing amount of poverty in our community. As Coordinator for Brighter Futures, a program directed towards early childhood wellness, I quickly recognized that we could not meet any of the organization’s mandates without addressing the crucial need for families to have immediate and regular access to healthy food. The first step was in 1998 with the help of the Sidney Lions‘ Food Bank in a weekly delivery of fresh bread and baked goods. However we observed that skilltraining workshops were necessary in order to support a regenerative sense of selfsustenance.
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The Good Food Box program was introduced in 2002 which allowed for community members to participate in a co-op purchase of fresh fruit and vegetables. However, the Good Food Box only provided food for 1-2 weeks depending on the size of the household. This program served three First Nation communities and up to 300 boxes a week. It allowed for immediate access to fresh fruits and vegetables and could provide for up to two weeks worthof produce. Finding a way to help folks get food in a way that empowered and increased their sense of self-esteem and dignity was essential- and gardening seemed like the next natural step.
With the support of Brighter Futures and Lifecycles, we were able to initiate the garden project. Brighter Futures funded for 10 household gardens and supplies for 3-raised garden beds. The next year Lifecycles provided educational workshops and volunteers to help out with the gardens. In 2003, we applied for a grant from VIHA/ Aboriginal Health to fund the Saanich Revitalization Project and Community kitchen. The focus of the Community Kitchen was to educate our People about the cycle of traditional food gathering, cultural practices around food and SENCOTEN language. Heifer Canada subsequently offered funding for five new households a year and for 10 families to take poultry (chicken farms).
other chronic ailments. When we are well we can fulfill our fullest responsibility within our families and within our Nation.
Educational Workshops The Garden Project has hosts diverse educational and successful workshops for the community. Here are a few examples of some of the workshops held in the past and present!
goals
• Seedlings and Transplants • Companion Gardening • Composting • Natural Ways of Pest Control • Canning and Preserving Foods • Native Plants and Medicines • Care of Chickens (husbandry; lifecycles, nutrient management, disease and pest man agement) • Tree pruning • How to plant and care for fruit trees • seed saving • Restoring indigenous plants & medicines • Traditional mat weaving
Regenerative Wellness and Empowering Education: We hope to encourage educational workshops about planting seasons in order to reconnect the person to the environment and revitalize our traditional survival skills and knowledge. In this way we also stimulate organizational and planning skills which equip families with the tools to plan ahead for the next planting and harvesting season. In this way, we can wean dependency off of Social Assistance programs and foster dignity through selfsustenance. We hope that through education, support and adding variety to daily food choices, we aspire to nourish attitudes which change approaches to food in a long-term, positive and healthy direction for our future generations. We believe that this is the most effective way to address ongoing problems with diabetes, arthritis, heart disease and 15
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a collection of voices: reflections from the garden project
What is gardening to you? (Impacts in your life/to your family)
Why did you join the garden project? (Any insights, reflections etc).
How is gardening connected to community wellness?
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for an other: "caring preparing for bigger responsibilities for family and other relations; and learning from the land and caring for the land is "a goodplace to start
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RESPONSIBILITY. “Caring for an other: preparing for bigger responsibilities for family and other relations (learning from the land and caring for the land is a good place to start)” “We need discipline in our lives in order to cultivate good life skills for our youth (health, sexual health, boundaries)”. EMPOWERMENT. “empowering to explore what works and what doesn’t work- do the research ourselves” “apply to people and family- the plants teach us what can go together, just as we need to know what family members can sit together at the table (laughter)” SELF-CARE.
What is gardening to you? (Impacts in your life/to your family) RESURGENCE.
“A time to reflect, Review and Plan: not just the garden, but life., It helps put things in order and teaches patience” “Take what we learn in the garden to apply to life”
“A return to what I grew up with, with the knowledge about the land and food preservation, canning, seed saving”. LAND-LITERACY. “My father and old people had a connection to weather because the weather and the moon tell us when to plant”.... “Being aware of the environment opens doors in the process of educating ourselves and the people around us” KNOWLEDGE. “The knowledge of self-sustenance is the important component because it is sustained through generations.” “Learn about the land, and the soil- for example this soil is clay-based and requires specific treatment for it to be fertile”.
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Why did you join the garden project? (Any insights, reflections etc). “I saw it as a great opportunity to educate ourselves and empower us to sustain ourselves. I am really impressed by how well they use the resources they have, how much work they do and how organized they are”. Any advice or insights? “It would be great to have a community fridge for seed saving”.
How is gardening connected to community wellness? LAND-BASED COMMUNITY EDUCATION. “Gardens provide the education of the Philosophy of Gardening and Return to the land. Furthermore, when thecommunity is involved in the education process then it is sustainable (education not confined to the school) and ultimately it encourages Youth involvement”.
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INSPIRATION FOR OUR LEADERS. “Our leaders can see the importance of working and respecting the land- there would be more initiative to protect the land. And despite our differences, gardens and a return to the land can help establish shared belief system”. “Get rid of the weeds in our life” “Gardening is a very real way to implement beliefs and when people see changes (in politics and community) there is an increased level of trust”.
Seeds of Wisdom (words of advice) How can we translate the love for Mother Earth to love of women in our lives? If we remembered how to recognize and take care of our Mother the Earth, would be learn how to honour and care for the women in our lives?
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(Interview with Jacqui and Cosiniye)
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it s cool to grow your own , food, it s healthier and it " is more tastes better. there spirit in the food... Cosiniye (age 14)
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Sage, Liam & Cosiniye “The gardens have provided the opportunity for our kids to become more independent and learn entrepreneurship at a young age: Sage has been growing and selling her harvest in the Okanogan and has inspired Liam and Cosiniye to do the same. Cosiniye began selling flowers and lavender at the local market, and Liam soon after began to grow and sell Persian Star Garlic. Both have been incredibly successful and has allowed the kids to be more economically autonomous and proud of the work they do. It has been a learning process and we have been able to annually increase the crop and sell out; through the integrity of our costumer list and community relationships”
Any advice or insights? What is gardening to you? (Impacts in your life/to your family) RELATIONSHIP. “Gardening has always been a part of our lives, something that was always a part of our childhood. My grandparents on both sides gardened and therefore I was able to learn, maybe through osmosis”.
“Gardens take dedication and commitment, time and effort. It would be great to have a Youth work team for the spring and fall seasons- in order to help for the preparation and closing of the gardens” “Weekly updates on gardens and the food through social media and Facebook- to share the work and beauty of our gardens with the community!”
Why did you join the garden project? (Any insights, reflections etc).
How is gardening connected to community wellness?
SUPPORT.
“Being outside and eating the fruit we grow and harvest connects us to the land, and to our food. There is a pride in eating what you’ve grown. The whole family invests in this work and it has been an opportunity to work together. The project itself brings the community together, through the workshops and events and creates a common ground amongst all of us”.
“We joined the project in the first year because it held the opportunity to start something with support andcommunity...and ultimately with the hopes that we would be able to feed our family!” “There are challenges with gardens, some years are good and some years are difficult, especially with deer, but the program offers support in our work” FAMILY. “It became a family project, the kids loved helping out when they were little, and although it can sometimes be a chore for them now (laughing), it is still a family project!”
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"i garden because ...
i just love gardening
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What is gardening to you? (Impacts in your life/to your family) PART OF MY LIFE. “Gardening has always been a part of my life”. RELATIONSHIPS. “Every year a friend of mine would come and help prep the garden and weed. One time he was trying to rotatil the land and the rotatiller took off dragging him behind all the way until the fence (laughter)”
Why did you join the garden project? (Any insights, reflections etc). “I joined maybe ten years ago. I joined because I just love gardening”
MOVING FORWARD. “The past few years my garden hasn’t been growing/producing as it used to. The soil looks rich because it is black but all that’s growing now is carrots, beets and cucumbers. Next year I’ll add lye and another fertilizer and then rotatil to oxygenate the soil when I prep it before planting”. SELF-SUSTENANCE. “I use all the vegetables I get from the garden with the meats that we fish and hunt. We make ling cod soups every year for the elders and I sell my fish at the powwow. We make good soups throughout the year with everything we have and I always sell-out my fish & chips at the powwow”.
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" f i can do it.... "ianyone can do it...�
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we know it s a grant driven program and we , re so grateful for the work of the project, for mary and myrna, to bring it back to the community  26
EDUCATION AND EMPOWERMENT. “There is so much information out there, and if it wasn’t for gardening, my eyes wouldn’t be open to a whole new world. Like a gardening consciousness. It’s been great to learn so much from the workshops (like traditional medicines, canning, fruit)... and Myrna is so friendly and fun” “For example, we had a traditional cattail weaving workshop and even though I’m not crafty, I was so proud to participate and it was neat for my kids to see that it gives me something to look forward to. It opens up a space for new friends and relations....” “We know it’s a grant driven program and we’re so grateful for the work of the project, for Mary and Myrna, to bring it back to the community”
What is gardening to you? (Impacts in your life/to your family) INSPIRATION.
INSPIRATION. “It’s so inspiring to see how many homes and families are participating...”
“We first decided to start a garden when my son Lenny showed us a Ted Talks on “guerrilla gardening” and recommended that we consider it! He inspired me to start the garden and I contacted Myrna and we got set up with the program”.
“We are already excited to plan what we’ll plan next year, how we’ll expand our garden..who would have thought that I would be a gardener!”
FAMILY.
“Gardening has encouraged my kids to eat more veggies and try some of our own produce, because it’s homegrown- so we are proud of what we grow...”
“It’s become kind of a family thing, like when my son would notice when I would get busy and offer to water the plants for me. My boyfriend gifted me hanging baskets and even my Aunt made comments on how things were growing” PASSION. “It’s been great for the kids to see a different interest or passion of mine. We can share it together and enjoy it together, and I even share photos of what we grow on facebook...”
Why did you join the garden project? (Any insights, reflections etc).
How is gardening connected to community wellness?
“I understand how people say gardening is calming, quiet, therapeutic.. sometimes I get carried away, and lose track of time... like, whenever I’m out I am always looking for garden stuff, my eyes are open for gardener’s eyes” “Gardens beautify our homes, makes our homes really beautiful...” “Culturally, it connects us back to the land - we used to live off the land- and it connects us to how we used to be...” 27
(Interview with Cathi Charles Wherry)
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it s a way of being with nature. participatingin " creation...
was happy there was support. I love the workshops, we learn so much and it’s fun to get together with other people and talk about the land, the seasons, share tips etc.” “The physical support is incredible. Access to the rotatiller, seeds, plants and any physical support is so appreciated because gardens can be a lot of work.”
How is gardening connected to community wellness? “There is an independence to gardening, like a Food Sovereignty. It’s empowering to control what you eat and where it comes from. It really establishes a relationship with the land, as we are always interacting with the land. It’s empowering to provide for the family.”
What is gardening to you? (Impacts in your life/to your family) WAY OF BEING. “Gardening has always been a part of my life. My mom was an avid gardener and it was active through generations on both sides. For them, it was a necessity of lifesomething that I grew up with”.
“It’s physically nutritious and cultivates healthy virtues.” “It’s contemplative....it teaches you a lot of patience, perseverance and nurturance...” “Ultimately it’s inspiring and therefore a program like the garden project creates opportunities for people new to gardening to feel satisfaction and encourage new gardeners!”
CO-CREATION. “It’s a way of being with nature. Participating in creation. It’s meditative and physical and allows for real contact with the earth. There is nothing like going to garden and being able to harvest your own veggies. It’s nutritious and delicious. There is a deep satisfaction; and amidst the life distractions it balances me.” PEACE. “Gardening is similar to art. It’s like everything disappears but at the same time totally connected”.
Why did you join the garden project? (Any insights, reflections etc). “I had already been gardening for years but
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(Interview with Mary-Ellen)
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she set a trail for us. now we deepen it... i just tried, and now i will show my kids" my path, and then they can deepen it too
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tatoes; but we can feed them too... it’s different what we had growing up...” “Learn about the land, and the soil- for example this soil is clay-based and requires specific treatment for it to be fertile”.
What is gardening to you? (Impacts in your life/to your family)
What is gardening to you? (Impacts in your life/to your family) HEALTHY SELF-SUBSISTENCE. “Gardening is healthy food. We know what’s in our food and it has no pesticides and it saves money. We’ve got the land so we use it to save money, save water and feed ourselves” “Franklyn gets deer meat, elk and fish- so why don’t we grow our own fruit and veggies too?”
“Myrna is such a kind a good helper, she gave us the support and inspired us to just DO IT! She set a trail for us - and now we deepen it.” “It’s inspiring for the families to see each other’s gardens. I never used to be like this, to like to get dirty, or want to care for animals, but now they feed our kids and feed me! We’re already are expanding with more animals on our land; we have chickens but will get pigs, then sheep, then goats. And we can help our neighbours get started too...”
EDUCATION. “We are teaching our kids how to grow food and about the environment... if my kids want something then I’ll plant it, to show them how. I planted them (my kids), so I’ll show them how to plant too...” “My twelve year old girls already know how to cook with the veggies....” COMMUNITY. “We help a couple other houses and family members buy giving them food, like if we know they like potatoes, we give them po-
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How is gardening connected to community wellness? “it’s better for them to fight diabetes, teeth decay, etc... replace bad food with the food we grow...” SPIRITUAL CONNECTION. “I feel calm because- there is more I can do for myself, I feel how the Earth is, on the time that the Earth is- we can move at a different time but here I feel organized to put myself here as a gardener-farmer, mother-wife and friend-community member. Like I can be here in order to be in all these spaces...” “A time to listen to everyone on that side- to listen to them sing and dance; that’s also why we’re on this path (gardening)...” “Every now and then I hear them- that’s how we are. We just try to breathe and remember who we are...”
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INSPIRATION. “We want to get into producing, washing and prepping our own wool... so I can start to knit again...” “Our kids just keep adding seeds, and my littlest one will play in the dirt and maybe mix them all up, but that’s ok because they are trying; that’s what I did. I just tried, and now I will show my kids my path and then they can deepen it too...” “Sometimes we work on opposite ends of the garden, in different ways but we always meet in the middle...”
Advice for our youth? ”Plant Trees! We Need trees....”
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The WJOLELP (Tsartlip) Garden Project empowers many families and individuals to provide nutritious, organic and healthy food for themselves. It re-establishes a meaningful relationship with the land and preserves ancestral knowledge passed down through generations. It secures a healthy future for future generations and provides an educational space for the community to learn, connect, grow and heal together. The reflections from the participants on their garden project demonstrate how gardening fosters health, connection and empowerment within families and the community. Central themes that surfaced throughout the interviews included: family, empowerment, health and visions for the future. Bernice He-weth Smith describes that that garden has “become kind of a family thing” as she described the role of the project in strengthening their family unit. The garden itself if a space where the family can work together, learn together and eat together. Furthermore, it was inspiring to hear how
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many feel a sense of empowerment in the ability to learn, grow and feed themselves; just as described Judy Bartleman: “it’s empowering to explore what works and what doesn’t work- do the research ourselves”. Other participants share how proud they are of their crops, plants and livestock. Many of the participants agreed on how gardening establishes a profound connection with the land. Cathi describes how because, “gardening is similar to art. It’s like everything disappears but at the same time is totally connected”, it provides for the space to cultivate a clear mind and, as Mary-Ellen explains, ”to breathe and remember who we are...”. The garden project fosters community wellness and the care of the land. When our communities are well, we are able to govern ourselves in a way which reflects our true values, world views, morals and traditions. In this way, the garden project protects the relationships between our communities to the land, to our ancestors and to the generations to come.
committee. This is what education should look like.
Land-Based Education In August of 2013, I arrived here on the island from Ontario as a student in the Indigenous Governance Program at the University of Victoria. Each student participates in a “Community Governance Project”, a practical learning experience and opportunity to learn about every-day efforts and challenges of Indigenous governance; either within their own or another’s community. I met Myrna Crossley in September of 2013 and began to ask her more and more about the work of her community garden project throughout the year. While I intended on returning to my Grandmother’s community in northern Manitoba for my community governance project, the relationship with Myrna and the garden project began to evolve. By the summer, I began to learn more about her work and the work of the community. I stepped outside of the classroom and into what would be my classroom for the next three months: the garden project. Myrna Crossley and Mary Hayes became my professors, and Tsartlip community, my advising
As an Indigenous scholar of mixed SaulteauxCree Métis and mixed Filipina/Irish ancestry, I am concerned with how notions of wellness can mobilize Indigenous healing practices as effective tools of decolonization and nationbuilding. While I have many ideas about what this might look like, it wasn’t until my time in Tsartlip that I really began to understand... My responsibilities included helping with weeding, extra maintenance work or gardening as required from any of the families. I am so grateful for the opportunity to meet so many incredible people, to facilitate yoga classes, to participate in the sweats and to attend the YellowWolf powwow. When I initially arrived, I had already spent many hours thinking about the project as I had become inspired by Myrna’s reports. Indeed, I already planned on how we could make a “how to garden” handbook for other reserves and communities. Yet, while I assumed that the success of the garden project could be replicated in other communities, Mary explained to me that because each community is different; therefore, programs such as the garden project can only come from the interest, needs and efforts of the community itself. From this point on, I began to change how I understood myself within the Tsartlip community. To be honest, I initially saw myself as a helper or volunteer with preconceived notions of how to ‘capture’ the essence of the project. However, as time progressed and I learned more and more each day from the community, my role and responsibilities became quite clear to me. I am not a volunteer, I am a student of the project. As a student, I am required to uphold my responsibilities to practice humility, service and deeplistening. It is a privilege for me to step inside of a community that is not my own, and I am honoured with the opportunity to learn from all of my teachers and mentors.
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I learned so much in my time with the gardeners, and saw that gardening is truly a way to restore balance within the relationships with ourselves, our community, with Spirit and the land. As I spent time in the gardens, I began to reflect more about who I am as an Indigenous woman and how I am accountable to the wellness of Indigenous communities across Turtle Island. Furthermore, I ask myself how I can reconcile my mixed Indigenous and settler ancestry with my accountability to Indigenous Nationhood movements more globally. I had time to reflect about stories that my grandmother has shared with me, about trapping rabbits, or moose hunts or surviving the cold winters; and I began to reflect about my own relationship with the land. I realized that I have spent my entire life away from the land, within a concrete classroom, and therefore disconnected from the knowledge which kept my very own ancestors strong, resilient and dignified. For the first time, I had the opportunity to establish an intimate relationship with the land. I am so inspired by the hard work, dedication and creativity of the community members and dream to have a place where I too can return to the land in a meaningful way. I have recognized the importance of landbased education in my own life and understanding of my own identity, and am inspired by the potential for such learning for Indigenous youth. I hope to continue to learn from and support Indigenous land-based healing praxis and, in return encourage creative spaces for other Aboriginal youth to restore their relationship with the land. While the community governance project will end, my time as a student of Indigenous governance, of the Tsartlip
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community garden project, and of the land, is just beginning. As we move forward, we have the opportunity to share these types of initiatives with other communities. The goal would not be to recommend how to implement similar projects but to inspire community-led programs as a means of fostering meaningful and sustainable connections with their land. I recognize, too, that I carry certain privileges as a student of higher education and am therefore accountable to how I foster understanding and growth among local and broader shared communities; both Indigenous and non-Indigenous. I hope to explore ways to establish the conditions necessary to expand initiatives such as the garden project, whether that includes advocating for future funding or sharing the voices of those who inspire others through educational material such as this journal. In conclusion, I am extremely grateful for the friendship, guidance and trust granted to me as an outsider in Tsartlip. I recognize that I have an important responsibility to protect the integrity of the relationships made and to continue the support of programs such as these in my own personal commitment towards decolonization. As I mentioned before, this is just the beginning; the seeds have just been planted. Let us determine together how we can protect the integrity of our relationships with ourselves, our communities, and the land; so that we may all embody an insurgent healing praxis for the regenerative wellness, health and strength of our nations.
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hiswke! huy chka! hiy . hiy! marsee! migwetch!
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note on methodology T h is j o u rna l wa s i n form ed t hrough par t icipat or y resea rch metho d o l og i es which were f undament ally rel a ti o n sh i p- b a sed . E a c h par t icipant was cont act ed th roug h M y rn a Cro ssl ey and maint ained a t rust ed rel a ti o n sh i p wi th her a nd t he project . I myself , met ma n y o f the fa mi l i es t hrough helping out at t heir g a rd en s, h o wever i n some cases, such as wit h Mar yE l l e n a n d Ca thi , I met them f or t he f irst t ime f or t he i n t er v i ew. E a ch con versat ion last ed bet ween 30min to two h o u rs, a n d wh i l e I arrived wit h t hree guiding q u esti on s, th e co n versat ion always unf olded nat ur a l l y towa rds the refl ec t ions of t he par t icipant . This j o u rna l refl ects th e a ut hent ic insight s and knowled ge o f ea ch pa r ti ci p ant and t he ref lect ions are recorded wo rd for word. Even t hough t he int ent ion i s no t to co n d u ct a study, or research, but t o celeb ra te th e refl ecti on s, insight s and experiences of th e commu n i ty, soci a l prot ocol was det ermined by th e commu n i ty. We met on t he gracious schedule of th e p a r ti ci p a n t a t thei r homes and a f ocus on t rust wa s i ntegra l i n the co nversat ions. Each one of t he p a r ti ci pa n ts wi l l recei ve a copy of t he journal as t he wo rd s, p h o tos, refl ecti ons and insight s are f rom and b e lo n g to WJ O L E L P (Ts ar t lip) First N at ion.
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