Native Garden: Service Learning Project

Native Garden:Native Garden: Service Learning ProjectService Learning ProjectNaomi, Alissa, and DeonNaomi, Alissa, and Deon

Pre-Columbian Pre-Columbian Thousands of native cultures spread across Thousands of native cultures spread across

North AmericaNorth America In our region, the Dakota and the Anishinaabe In our region, the Dakota and the Anishinaabe

people didn’t garden– they were nomadicpeople didn’t garden– they were nomadic Borrowed older gardening techniques from Borrowed older gardening techniques from

other native cultures (Three Sisters)other native cultures (Three Sisters)

Historical Perspective Historical Perspective

Two main: Anishenaabe and DakotaTwo main: Anishenaabe and Dakota

White settlers destroyed nomadic cultureWhite settlers destroyed nomadic culture DiseaseDisease Fencing Fencing Invasive SpeciesInvasive Species ReservationsReservations Assimilation: Boarding SchoolsAssimilation: Boarding Schools

Capitalist Society vs. Subsistence Capitalist Society vs. Subsistence

CultureCulture

SurvivalSurvival

Commodity foodCommodity food

Emergence of Emergence of Gardening Gardening

Food Systems ThenFood Systems Then

Food Systems NowFood Systems Now

Food produced off the Food produced off the reservationreservation

Red Lake: Only one grocery Red Lake: Only one grocery store, rest are convenience store, rest are convenience store (no fresh food)store (no fresh food)

Health degradation Health degradation DiabetesDiabetes Heart ailmentsHeart ailments ObesityObesity

Gardening now seen as Gardening now seen as healing these issueshealing these issues

DesignDesign

Consider this…Consider this… Interests of all groups involvedInterests of all groups involved Soil typeSoil type Slope of land/water runoffSlope of land/water runoff Existing plantsExisting plants Water accessWater access Number of people working in gardenNumber of people working in garden IntercroppingIntercropping Aesthetics Aesthetics

SeedsSeeds

At the indigenous gardening conference, we At the indigenous gardening conference, we learned about the importance of seedslearned about the importance of seeds

Heritage seedsHeritage seeds

Organic seedsOrganic seeds

Cultural significance Cultural significance

Cross pollination Cross pollination

Three SistersThree Sisters

Corn, squash, beansCorn, squash, beans

Originated in the Originated in the SouthwestSouthwest

InventoryInventory

ResourcesResources

Land- West Central Land- West Central Research and Research and Outreach CenterOutreach Center

Tools- share and add Tools- share and add to the Student to the Student Organic Gardening Organic Gardening Club’s toolsClub’s tools

Seeds- corn is from Seeds- corn is from Winona LaDukeWinona LaDuke Rest of seeds from Rest of seeds from

Seed SaversSeed Savers

Brain TrustBrain Trust

Morris Healthy EatingMorris Healthy Eating Mary Jo Forbord and Mary Jo Forbord and

companycompany

WCROCWCROC

Francis BettelyounFrancis Bettelyoun

Dennis JohnsonDennis Johnson

Indigenous Gardening Indigenous Gardening ConferenceConference

StrategiesStrategies

Good Good communication communication between all parties between all parties is key.is key.

Staying flexible Staying flexible throughout learning throughout learning processprocess

Gardening logGardening log

CommitmentCommitment Long and short termLong and short term

Short-term Short-term ImplementationImplementation

Tilling Tilling

Dig a pit for composting pulled weedsDig a pit for composting pulled weeds

Planting seedsPlanting seeds

Green mulch of organic straw from Mary Jo’s farm Green mulch of organic straw from Mary Jo’s farm will be placed down will be placed down

Maintain gardenMaintain garden Weeding, watering, trellis as needed Weeding, watering, trellis as needed

WinterizationWinterization Planting winter ryePlanting winter rye

Long-term Long-term ImplementationImplementation

No-tillNo-till

Plant seedsPlant seeds More perennials; More perennials;

berries, fruit trees, etc. berries, fruit trees, etc.

Green mulchGreen mulch

Maintain gardenMaintain garden

WinterizationWinterization Extra layer of green Extra layer of green

mulchmulch

Long-term StructuresLong-term Structures

ChallengesChallenges

PlantingPlanting PlanningPlanning

Choosing seedsChoosing seeds DesignDesign

GrowingGrowing WeatherWeather PestsPests Human resourcesHuman resources JobsJobs

ChallengesChallenges

HarvestingHarvesting People’s commitmentPeople’s commitment StorageStorage Unseen catastrophes (cows)Unseen catastrophes (cows)

DistributionDistribution

Community OutreachCommunity Outreach

Gardening PartnersGardening Partners

EducationEducation

In-season EventsIn-season Events

Post-season EventsPost-season Events

Use of ProduceUse of Produce

ConclusionConclusion

The main thing that we learned during this The main thing that we learned during this project is how much we still need to learn.project is how much we still need to learn.

Learning by doing is vital.Learning by doing is vital.

The process is just as important as the The process is just as important as the produce.produce.

““Native-ness” of plantsNative-ness” of plants