An Indigenous medicine garden is much more than a space where traditional plants grow. The garden is also a classroom, the foundation of a curriculum, a reciprocal relationship, a revitalization of culture, an act of decolonization and a wealth of untapped potential.
As farm & food systems lead for the Farm at RRU, Solara Goldwynn looks after the gardens and coordinates volunteer groups, tours and events in the Farm.
The Indigenous Medicine Garden, the latest addition to the Farm at RRU, was designed by Kenneth Elliott, Cowichan Elder and ethno-botanist, and cultivated by Solara Goldwynn, farm & food systems lead for the Farm at RRU, as well as Elders and consultants from the Lands of the Lekwungen-speaking Peoples, the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations.
The space is a haven for Indigenous plants and medicines, and those who wish to learn from them. The Farm at RRU also hosts a Giving Garden and Market Garden and expands each year with support from donors and volunteers. Goldwynn has big dreams for the space, and for the Indigenous Medicine Garden in particular.
