By Tanya Lunn-Duggan

So why a garden? This once under utilized space has
helped grow many ideas and connections over the
last ten years. We learned humility by building up the
space with students from St. Peter secondary school
as we started to give life to what was once bare, it
supported courage during the pandemic and invited
families to leave something to grow and it would
lovingly welcome them when they returned.
Over time it became overgrown and what almost
seems metaphoric that an invasive plant was
crowding out the original plants and changes needed
to happen. Thus came the idea of the sacred and
healing inspired garden.
This tactile and tangible area welcomes everyone, as
we become rooted in what we know and make space
for further growth and acceptance.
A bit of back story: Several years ago our classrooms
were painted to reflect four elements: air, water, earth and fire.
This decision was based on wanting to
enhance nature into our environments and at the
time was merely a decorative design and no one
knew the impact it would have. Later we were gifted
sun catchers depicting the four sacred plants
associated with the medicine wheel: sweet grass, sage,
tobacco and cedar.

Grateful for the gifts, we randomly displayed them in
each of the classrooms. It wasn’t until deeper in to
my own learning that the linkage between the plants,
the elements and the medicine wheel were revealed.
Respectfully recognizing and learning from the first
peoples of Canada has been in the forefront of my
work and my colleagues for many years and we have
done so by introducing the seven grandfather
teachings through animal representation,
incorporating Anishinaabe language and land
acknowledgments when gathering and visiting the
forests, and building of our library. The intention is
always to share age appropriate and authentic
experiences for the children all the while being
mindful to avoid tokenism.

The stories and events that have unfolded in recent
years became an internal ignition to want to know
more and do more in the effort of awareness
and make change. I have spent my entire life with family
and friends with indigenous and Métis backgrounds
who couldn’t and wouldn’t share out of presumably
fear and were systemically oppressed and yet I
naively never knew. Continuing to connect my
professional learning and deep rooted interest in
Indigenous culture allows me to understand a little
more and share back with the children and the
program what seemed missing for so many years.

The infant room represents wind and they planted sweet grass. Sweet grass is considered sacred and used for making smudge sticks, as well as, for weaving baskets.

The toddler one room worked hard and used their element of water to create an ideal home for the roots of the cedar trees. Cedars signify the interrelationship between humans and plants.

The toddler two room offered the white sage in the garden. Sage is traditionally used for releasing what is troubling the mind and for removing negative energy. Their room represents earth and helped prepare the soil by overturning it.

The preschool room which represents fire planted yarrow,a plant used in the Métis culture, which is a traditional medicine plant for cuts and abrasions, headaches, and more.

The garden also homes Solomon seal, which is intended to heal skeletal injuries and osier dogwood for digestive concerns. These plants represent the administrative and nutritional portion of our program.

When putting this documentation together, I had
Initially worried that there was too much background
stories that may seem irrelevant for the work of today,
but in reflecting on all the previous work it was
preparation for the garden. Furthermore through the
research and hands on experiences, I have come to
realize that the land is a teacher and lends itself to
emotionally, physically, intellectually and spiritually
support me and my work.
Miigwech!

We offer the following acknowledgment for the space:
With deep respect and acknowledgment, this
gitigaan (garden) is planted on the traditional
lands of the Anishnibee and the William treaty.
The value we hold in laying the roots of these
time honoured plants is to show not only our
commitment to justice, equity, diversity and
inclusion, as we strive to support change and also
our commitment to grow our knowledge. We
offer a sincere miigwech (thank you) for the
opportunity to explore, learn and engage in
the wisdom of the land of the first people of Canada.