Indigenous Food and Medicine Garden
Vision
The Indigenous Food and Medicine Garden is an outdoor space that fosters a welcoming and inclusive community on-campus and promotes Indigenous presence, Indigenous Knowledge exchanges, and community involvement while engaging peoples in growing Indigenous organic and sustainable foods and plants for future generations.
Goals
The Indigenous Food and Medicine Garden aims to:
- Promote agricultural practices and teachings of Indigenous peoples of the local region.
- Provide experiential educational opportunities for community members, students and staff with respect to Indigenous worldview and customary planting, growing and harvesting techniques.
- Offer a welcoming green space on campus that engages communities in hands on learning of Indigenous Knowledge.
- Course development around customary Indigenous planting techniques.
- Give students, staff and community members the opportunity to grow their own food and medicines.
- Grow Medicinal plants for community members to use.
- Grow vegetables such as corn, beans and squash to be used for an annual feasts and gatherings.
- Share Indigenous Knowledge and develop academic partnerships on and off-campus.
Background
The Indigenous Food and Medicine Garden is a community-based initiative that encourages community engagement widely. The concept of the Garden was first envisioned and realized by Indigenous graduate student, Andrew Judge, and has since culminated into a collective partnership between many organizations on-campus. Today, the Garden is governed by a Garden Council, and administratively housed within the Indigenous Student Centre part of the Student Experience at Western University.
Garden Council
The role of the Garden Council is to provide advice and direction to realize the Garden’s vision and ensure the long-term sustainability of the space on-campus. The Council will include at least one representative from the following organizations:
- Indigenous Student Centre
- Indigenous Studies, Faculty of Social Science
- Indigenous Students' Association (ISA)
- recognized Indigenous community Elder advisor
- Supporting Aboriginal Graduate Enhancement (SAGE)
- Facilities Management
- Society of Graduate Students (SOGS)
- Enviro Western
Role and Responsibilities
Decision Making
Decision making about Garden plans and activities will be based on a consensus model. This model of governance reflects the traditional governance of the Haudenosaunee.
Become Involved
Community members are encouraged to participate by becoming a volunteer. Please contact the Indigenous Student Centre for more information.
Phone: 1-519-661-4095
To find the Indigenous Food and Medicine Garden on campus, please use our map!
