Wanuskewin Reflective Essay

Taking a trip outside of the city limits to an Aboriginal park called Wanuskewin was a fulfilling, rewarding and educational experience. As a class volunteers fieldtrip we were welcomed in with open arms to participate in learning and helping with the gardens on the reserved area. These were not your typical backyard gardens, or the one you help your grandma harvest, but a spiritual, tradition, and particular garden. We learned a great deal of the reasoning’s behind the structure of them, the traditional plants grown, and the function regarding the garden. Wanuskewin respects and represents the Indigenous way of life by following the tradition of the circle and how everything is connected and need balance within the land.

Wanuskewin was my first trip on a heritage park, and as to suspect it was a great learning experience. As I entered the building, it was warm, welcoming and filled with not only traditional Indigenous items such as buffalos, paintings, teepees, but also filled with children. These children, of all

cultures were learning the Indigenous ways of knowing, from learning to build a teepee, to going outside and learning about the land. As working to become a teacher, this was a rewarding sight to see these children learning about the culture, because introducing it at a young age will help them to learn and respect other cultures. This is a vital part of the education system because his will help society move forward on breaking the prejudices between indigenous and White cultures have for each other. While taking in the atmosphere inside Wanuskewin, we soon embraced a much more in-depth learning environment outside.
While outside, we were first taken to a private, small garden on the side of the building. We reached a small round garden that has been freshly planted but yet sprouting essentials that graze the land. The circle represents that everything has something to offer, and needs each other to grow big. Each plant had their own area to grow; there was two parts of the circle, the outer and the inner circle, and each held an assortment of Indigenous plants. Approaching the garden, we walk through the entrance following the inner path that led us around the circle. While viewing the plants and the nametags, I recognized many of these plants that I have once seen on the land at one point or another. I never took the time before to think about how these plants originated and it was interesting to learn that they were Indigenous plants that have been on the land for many years.
Learning about plants is one thing, but it was a great learning experience to put a picture to the plant. The plant Sage I never imagined it to be a pale green and grow close to the ground. Another surprising piece of information is that each plant has a male and female version, and the male and female have distinct differing regarding their features. The male form of the Sage for example has broader leaves and grew taller, while the female had a more flowery, smaller peddles which grew closer to the ground. Seeing the plants grown within the circle was heart warming to see how they grew, and to learn that certain plants such as the sweet grass grew better in the center of the circle, rather than the four directions in which it was planted. To me, that means that the sweet grass centers on the help of others, it brings everything together which helps build and strength one another.
This way plants support and strengthen each other was not only seen in the first garden we experienced, but the second garden which held harvest for food and tobacco. When arriving the second garden, this one was full of new growth, some more than others. Before entering this garden, it was discussed that when they were making this garden, it was covered in rocks which they had to remove, but an elder expressed that it is important to incorporate them within the garden to give thanks for their spot they are giving up. The entrance of the garden was different was the last; there was a grounding stone to remove al negative thoughts and karma before entering the garden. It is important to the Indigenous cultural to cleanse negativity and only bring in positive energy. After taking the first step onto the stone, it prayed to the spirits and creator, and took that final step into the garden. Built in a similar way, the center of the garden was a circle, with the surroundings being full lushes tobacco. The garden was filled with Indigenous plants used to feed the people, such as corn, beans, and squash.
While making our way over through the path to where the beans, corns, and squash were being grown, it was interesting to see the different ways in which they were planted.

The beans and corn were grown together sharing a pile of soil, this was meant to help feed the corn to give more nutrients to them. Among the beans and corn grew the squash, the squash was grown in ways that it could spread among the ground between the bean and corn. This was again was to help with the growth and soil quality to show that when put together; it makes one another stronger and healthier. When addressing growing techniques that that Indigenous people used, there was different methods such as growing the corn and beans together in one circle spot separated, and having the corn and beans grown in a line with the beans grown between the corn. The line method was used when growing harvest for large amounts of people, because you were able to plants more in smaller

spaces.
The lady who took us on the tour and helped us get set up for our volunteer work, she took about the land as it was listening. She was very formal, uplifting and spiritual about the way she talked about the plants and harvest. The lady shared stories about how the plants were grown, and they were only about to grow some of the plants thanks to the elders who passed down seeds. Some of the seeds that were passed down were many, many years old and was seen as sacred to the Wanuskewin gardens. She also explained the importance of only using what is needed and to save seeds for the future harvest year, this is a traditional that is praised upon within the Indigenous cultural. They are taught to only take what is needed, never be selfish and to always show appreciation by giving back to the land.
To show our appreciation about the knowledge shared during our time in Wanuskewin, we helped finish the garden by protecting the nutrients in the land. Using biodegradable material found such as cardboard allowed us to preserve the nutrients within the soil. Laying down the cardboard, wetting it, and lying bark down to allow roots grow down, but stop weeds from growing up. This was not the only way in which we gave back to the land, but we filled up watering cans and returned back to the first garden. Re-entering the garden, our water cans filled we entered the circle garden and started water from the inside and worked our way around and out. We were told to not waste the water and to only to water the plants individually, this again was a form of only using what is needed, where is needed. It was rewarding to be able to give back to the land for the knowledge, but also because it has been so dry on the land it made the plants thirsty. After the first round of watering, they ground soaked up the water and could barley tell that we even watered, this made it important to give them more.
After the final watering process, a song was sung to the land, a blessings for the plants to grow big, healthy and strong. It was a beautiful song, and even though I did not understand the meaning, I still felt connected to it, and to the land. Throughout this whole experience, it was expressed all over Wanuskewin the respect and honor they had for their culture. Learning certain techniques was insightful for how they preserve the land and build up onto the land only when needed, such as when they second garden was built on clay, so they overlaid it with soil to promote growth. Everything I took and gained from Wanuskewin bettered my way of knowledge regarding the Indigenous way of knowing. Everything comes back to the circle of life, the circle representing strength and connections. It is important to be grateful, to honor the land because without the land we have nothing and we are nothing.