Native American Garden Recovering Health and Knowledge By: Keni Zenner, Lyndsey Weber, and Alex Beyer "One gardener's weed is another gardener's flower, salad, wine, medicine, fiber, dye, or poison" - Shirley Shirley

Healing Earth Ceremony Prayer O Great Creator I come before you in a humble manner And offer you this sacred pipe. With tears in my eyes and an ancient song from my heart I pray.   To the four powers of Creation, To the Grandfather Sun, To the Grandmother Moon, To the Mother Earth, And to my ancestors. I pray for my relations in Nature, All those who walk, crawl, fly, and swim, Seen and unseen, To the good spirits that exist in every part of Creation.

- Medicine Grizzly Bear I ask that you bless our elders and children, families and friends, And the brothers and sisters who are in prison. I pray for the ones who are sick on drugs and alsohol And for those who are now homeless and frolorn. I also pray for peace among the four races of humankind.   May there be good health and healing for this Earth, May there be Beauty above me, May there be Beauty below me, May there be Beauty in me, May there be Beauty all around me.                   I ask that this world be filled with Peace, Love and Beauty. - Medicine Grizzly Bear

Native American Agricultural History End of Ice Age Big game dies off Lifestyle shift Nomadic Agriculture Attitudes toward Living Creatures Animals asked for forgiveness Plants thanked

Native Science 1,000 AD, East Coast Native corn Frost Resistant Adapted to short growing season  This 'technology' allowed tribes like         the Hidatsa and Mandan to thrive.  Buffalo Bird Woman Grew three sisters  Brought sophisticated systems of agriculture Produced beans, corn, potatoes, pumpkins, squash, tomatoes, and more than 20 other foods we use daily.  

Arrival of Settlers Trade New crops Potatoes Carrots White settlers and Dakota  Dawes Act "The Indian Problem" Lose over 17,000,000 acres Goal  "To break up the tribe as a social unit"

Native American Health Land displacement and elimination of traditional food practices had huge health consequences 1 in 8 had diabetes - 2x the non-Indian population cancer, depression, suicide, stress, violence, and substance abuse also widely prevalent "loss of power" is the biggest health issue Restoring health must happen on community level in addition to individual level Health is multifaceted - physical, social/emotional, intellectual, and spiritual

Garden Design

Three Sisters Corn, beans, and squash "They want to be together with each other, like we want to be together with each other." -Chief Louis Farmer, Onondaga One variety of Three Sisters Mandan Bride Corn Hidatsa Shield Maiden Bean Summer Crookneck Squash Buffalo Bird Woman's Design

Medicine Wheel Ojibwe Interpretation Sacred Circle Number 4 Directions Seasons Periods of life  Four Sacred Plants Used for meditation and healing Used for prayer

East Quadrant Physical Health Infancy Spring Plants Marigold Dill    Physical Health Infancy Spring Plants Marigold Dill Goldenrod Night Willow Herb Dwarf Buttercup

South Quadrant Emotional Health Adolescence Summer Plants Indian Grass   Emotional Health Adolescence Summer Plants  Indian Grass Prairie Rose Echinacea Beets Bee Balm

West Quadrant Mental Health Adulthood Autumn Plants Purple Prairie Clover Big Bluestem Sage Lavender Prairie Phlox

North Quadrant Spiritual Health Elder Winter Plants Sweetgrass Yucca Night-Scented Tobacco Mint Boneset

Center Two extra directions Zenith (above) Nadir (below) Peace Pole “May peace prevail on        earth” printed on all        sides of the pole, and       many Native American        words for Peace Strawberries   Around the base             of the pole

Stepping Stones

Drying Rack/Arbor History Watch tower Drying rack Our Garden   Our Garden Community Builder Information Center Shade Drying Rack - with teaching

Drying Rack - Buffalo Bird Woman

Long-Term Garden Plans Start conservatively, and add as the garden teaches us Expand varieties Perennials  Winona LaDuke's Corn Dream of Wild Health Model Orchard Children's Garden Education Children learn about culture and health Seed Bank Save heirloom varieties

Challenges/Solutions  Right/competence to teach Native traditions and beliefs  Solution: Build relationships (CNIA, AISES, WCROC, Morris Healthy Eating, etc.) "Build a road by walking."    Garden Workers - labor Solution: Garden plan relatively simple - little labor needed. Future paid internship positions to maintain and teach

Challenges/Solutions Keeping the Space Sacred Solution: act as "stewards of the land" Guidebook/log - pass on the historical and cultural knowledge Maintain relationships with Native American elders    Pest Control  Solution: Repellent herbs mint and marigolds Collaboration with WCROC                     for gopher removal

Challenges/Solutions Cross-Pollination Solution: inter-garden communication Hand-pollination Science-based research for seed saving and storage Science students do research on heirloom seeds   Sustainability of the Land Solution: compost and worm humus established Future: multiple plots to let land fallow

Community Outreach Plan Powwow Sacred tobacco offerings - spring Drumming ceremonies   Student involvement Medicine Wheel stepping stones TREC Gateway Program Long-term goals: children's diabetes prevention garden and research garden classroom

Community Outreach Plan Sharing of Food Pride of the Prairie local foods meal Community Meals - Native American              foods theme   Garden Involvement Office of Community Engagement and Multi-ethnic Student Program - student volunteers for harvest Exhibit harvest in Student Center Engage Native artists Peace Pole, scarecrow, educational plaques Seed Saving --> Seed Sharing

Conclusion All actions must be intentional We must be patient Humility and relationships are key We can never know all the answers

Closing Prayer from the Navajo Blessing Way Ceremony   In beauty I walk With beauty before me I walk With beauty behind me I walk With beauty above me I walk With beauty around me I walk It has become beauty again (http://www.sacredbear.com/pages/Closing-Prayer-from-the-Navajo-Blessing-Way-Ceremony.html)