Maskihkiy Kistikan
Medicinal Gardens are diverse spaces. As with all gardens, they depend on the people who plan them and what their goals are. Our goal was to ensure the needs of our school (we traditionally smudge using Sage and Sweetgrass) were met, and in addition to that goal, for it to be a place where our families wisdom could be passed on.
In spite of the unique differences each kistikan will inevitably have, there are a few steps that can be followed to make sure you have a successful space. My students helped me put together these steps following what we have done, and what we plan on doing next year!
Step 1: Look at your Space.
Depending on your surroundings, you may have the perfect space already set-up, or you may be working from scratch. My school is fortunate to have two wonderful but very different outdoor spaces. One was a space where we have four large, rectangular garden beds pre-made, along with a variety of other small spaces for planting. The second was a courtyard made of mostly concrete, with a couple of raised beds for planting.
Remember that you must look at your place with more than your eyes. Sit in it at different times of the day. Play there. Walk through it. Listen to the sounds, and feel the earth beneath your feet. Take the time to learn what the space says to you and your classmates.
Step 2: Determine your Goals for the Space.
For each space, we did a walk-through as a class. Here we are in our mainly concrete space, deciding what we liked and what we didn't like, and how we could improve the space. Luckily, we had all pretty much decided that we wanted this Courtyard for prayer and reflection. We are a Catholic and Cree school, so we decided that we wanted to bring beauty to this space by eliminating the weeds, planting flowers and planting Medicines. The next question was what Medicines did we want in this space?
Our second space, what we dubbed our Outdoor Classroom, was much larger. We decided that one flowerbed would be used for Sage, one for Sweet grass, one for Wild Tobacco (three of the most sacred plants), and the last would be for different foods that we could give to our school's Snack Circle.
Step 3: Talk to People.
Our class began the year at Green School which is a week-long field trip at a local research garden. This is what began our inspiration for making our own Medicine Garden. After talking to the botanists at this garden, we decided we were going to need more local knowledge. We each went home and chose one family member to talk with about gardening and plants. Some of us chose our Aunties, some chose our Kohkums, some of us spoke to our Moms and Dads. We learned from one Dad that to check the roots of Sweet grass to make sure they are purple. Other grasses often look like Sweet grass, but Sweet grass has very recognizable purple roots.
We also invited Elders to come and teach us about plants. If you want to invite an Elder into your classroom, ask your teacher. There are protocols (which are like rules or things you do to chose respect) when you invite an Elder, because they are such wise and important people. Here are couple of places that will help your teacher when inviting an Elder:
Medicinal Garden Project
Step 4: Gather Tools
We needed tools such as rakes, shovels, and garden gloves to work in our garden. Some of them we borrowed from home (and our teacher brought some!) and some we bought using grant money. Our teacher said it was important that we each always have a tool so it can help keep us working.
Step 5: Prepare the Area
We were lucky that we already have garden beds built with good soil in them. If you don't, you may have to build some of your own garden beds, or decide where you want to place your garden. If you want help with those steps, check out our resource pages.
One thing we did have to do was a whole lot of weeding! We haven't started an outdoor compost area yet, so we are looking for someone who can use it for mulch.
Step 6: Make an Offering
"When picking a plant for Indian Medicine, first we give an offering and an apology. Then we take only as much as we need." - Edna Bobb (Sto:lo Elder)
We believe that when we take from the Earth, we must give something in return. It is like completing a circle. It is traditional to make an offering of tobacco to thank Mother Earth for the nourishment and the healing she gives us as her people.
It is best to invite an Elder or someone who is familiar with this practice if you have never done it before. Look at Step 3 for some help with that!
Step 6: Prepare your Seeds
This is one of the best steps! Start planting your seeds. You can use specialty seed-starters, plastic cups, toilet paper rolls, or newspaper seed-starters. We used newspaper seed-starters (Check out our resource page to see how this is done!). We also did a couple experiments on how seeds germinate, and whether soil makes a difference in plant growth.
Step 7: Plant your Seedlings.
After your seedlings sprout and are beginning to look a little stronger (and beginning to outgrow their pots), transplant them into the garden. Make sure they have enough space (which is easy to do if you used newspaper seed starters) between the plants.
Step 8: Maintain the Garden
The hard work doesn't stop once we plant our garden. Now you will need to water your plants, make sure the soil is staying nourished, ensure no weeds or pests are stealing nutrients from the plants and show off all of your hard work! Invite people to see the garden as it grows, and teach them about the plants they see.
Step 8: Harvest Time
Once the plants have grown, it is time to harvest. Since we are growing a medicinal garden, we will be having the Elders visit to show us how to properly harvest and give thanks for our Medicines. Check back for updated information on this once Harvest time nears!