An Aboriginal garden is blooming at Douglas College’s New Westminster campus.
A garden with plants sacred to Aboriginal people has been created at the college to promote cultural awareness and learning. The 10- by two-metre raised bed is located on the fourth floor of the New Westminster campus, outside the Aboriginal Gathering Place, which is a venue for traditional Aboriginal ceremonies, meetings and study.
“We wanted the garden to go hand-in-hand with the Aboriginal Gathering Place, and we wanted to create a garden that would provide medicinal value as well as enhance the spiritual essence of the space,” said Dave Seaweed, the college’s Aboriginal student services coordinator.
Plants in the garden include tobacco, sweetgrass and sage, which hold medicinal and spiritual meaning in Aboriginal culture. The tobacco will be gifted to elders and other plants will be used for smudging, a practice where sacred plants are burned to purify a room.
The garden will also be used for workshops and learning opportunities.
“Knowledge grows through ceremonies and events, and attendees will share their knowledge with others,” Seaweed said.
