College garden rooted in Indigenous culture
Traditional foods, medicinal ingredients to be cultivated
Niagara College’s working relationship with the Indigenous community is rooted in a garden unveiled at the Welland campus on Wednesday afternoon.
A ceremony that involved a song and greeting from elder Elaine Berwald and participation from many others, including college president Dan Patterson, was held at the new garden behind the Applied Health wing of the campus.
Patterson said the outdoor area is a place for the Niagara College’s 400 Indigenous students to feel at home and connected to their heritage, as well as a way for the college to share its bond with their rich culture.
“Today is an example of a long history of working with Indigenous people — expressed through this beautiful garden,” he said. “This garden is one of the ways we can help our Indigenous learners flourish and develop a greater understanding of Indigenous culture within our entire college community.”
The garden includes corn, beans and squash, as well as cedar, white sage, sweet grass and tobacco, which are medicines used in Indigenous ceremonies.
Lilian Montour, an elder and chair of the college’s Indigenous Education Management Circle, said the garden will produce ingredients used in traditional Indigenous foods, such as corn soup.
“A lot of things will evolve from this” she said.
Teri Sherwood, from the Oneida Nation, and a former horticultural student who graduated in 1999, said she is thrilled to be a part of the initiative.
“Every plant is significant and important,” said Sherwood, the lead designer of the garden.
“Being a part of this project is very near and dear to my heart.”
Donna Gerber, manager of Indigenous education for Niagara College, said a similar garden was created at the Niagara-onthe-Lake campus about four years ago, along with an indoor area at the Welland campus.
The new garden unveiled this week is a missing piece of the puzzle, she said.
“My goal was to have both an indoor and outdoor space for students at each campus,” she said.