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Indigenous gardening is not solely one thing but merely a collection of traditional ideas passed down from generation to generation. The whole idea of Indigenous is about sustainability and renewability. A lot of the sustainable practices we see in western society today are actually ideas that were stolen from Indigenous farmers and implemented into our everyday life. Natural harmony already exists in gardening and wildlife but there are ways that we can help to encourage a more efficient process.

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Indigenous gardens and organizations - Toronto Urban Growers

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Re-Sistering gitiganings - Our Space and Ehnatig (Maple) in Etienne Brule Park on Niwa’ah onega’haih’ih/Kobechenonk (colonial name: Humber River) https://taiaiakon.wordpress.com/category/re-sistering-project/

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How is Indigenous gardening different to western gardening?

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How is Indigenous gardening different to western gardening?

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The main difference western farming and Indigenous farming is the intent. Western farming focuses heavily on the ideology that quantity is more important than quality . Western farming is quite industrialized and detrimental to the environment while Indigenous farming is focused heavily on the care and tender treatment of the plants. There is often a lot more respect towards the plants and their natural life cycle. In my research I’ve found that there are a lot of flaws in western gardening, especially in the sustainable aspect. The main thing I’ve noticed is the difference in techniques, for example the main way of western gardening is the lack of crop rotation. Farms often focus on farming solely one kind of crop in one kind of area, depleting the nutrients from the soil. In Indigenous gardening though, this is quite the opposite, they encourage crop rotation yearly.

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How long has been indigenous gardening been around?

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How long has been indigenous gardening been around?

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Indigenous gardening has been around for centuries, it is estimated that the same gardening techniques invented by Indigenous communities have been recorded for as long as 10,000 - 65,000 years. These techniques have been passed down through stories, word of mouth, and books. We know that Indigenous gardening has existed for centuries due to the fossils found all over the world from these individuals. This is proof that we need to start respecting and listening to Indigenous voices because these techniques have been around since the first peoples and they are still working today.

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What are some different Indigenous garden techniques?

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What are some different Indigenous garden techniques?

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There are infinite different Indigenous gardening techniques all depending on region but on Turtle Island some of the more popular ones include the idea of companion planting. Companion planting is the idea that multiple plants of different uses and families can not only grow compatible but thrive in harmony together. One of the most popular examples of this is the three sisters. The 3 sisters are a trio of plants that all work together to ensure an efficient, low-effort growth cycle. They are a combination of beans, corn and squash. The beans provide nitrogen in the soil, giving it to all of the plants, the corn provides a nice long stock for the beans to cling onto while the squash produces nice big, prickly leaves reducing pests and shading the soil. Another example of Indigenous gardening would actually be fertilization. A common idea in Indigenous culture is using every part of an animal, this goes hand in hand with gardening because oftentimes they will take for example the bones and skin of a fish and plant it with the seeds. In the end the scraps will decompose into fertilizer for the plants, providing nutrients.

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Why should we implement Indigenous gardening into our everyday ways?

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Why should we implement Indigenous gardening into our everyday ways?

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Implementing Indigenous ways and techniques of gardening in our everyday lives is a very intelligent discson that I recommend to everyone. The reason that we should start implementing these techniques is due to the ideology behind it. It is not only the fact that Indigenous gardening is very efficient and environmentally friendly but also the whole idea of it is about respecting the earth and only taking what you need. The whole idea of respecting mother nature is so important no matter where you are from and what you believe in, this is because we only have one earth and if we do not treat it right, we will not have a planet to live on. Indigenous gardening is sustainable and low-effort, making it the perfect way you can help the environment. For example “chaos gardening” is a technique where you just toss a bunch of Indigenous seeds into your garden and let them grow and thrive naturally.

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How can we implement Indigenous gardening in a large scale context?

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How can we implement Indigenous gardening in a large scale context?

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Implementing Indigenous gardening techniques into large scale agriculture is vital for our planet's survival. Although we should implement these techniques, it is incredibly important that we are listening to Indigenous voices and their opinions and guidance on the situation. Without this it is very inappropriate and rude to take over and speak for Indigenous people. The way we can implement these techniques is finding an appropriate compromise where we can still provide enough food for the nation but we can take an environmentally conscious approach. Using these techniques will be easier once we make the switch, it might be a slow switch but we should be conscious every step of the way.

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Indigenous agriculture is incredibly efficient due to its sustainability. Unlike western gardening practices, Indigenous agriculture is rooted in respect and care. With the use of more renewable sources of things like water and compost, it reduces not only carbon emissions but greenhouse gasses too. The care of being environmentally friendly is vital when it comes to gardening because it is a cycle of destruction without it. Using unsustainable practices in agriculture releases emissions which get evaporated and turned into rain, going back into the soil, leading to unhealthy and flagrant crops. Not only are Indigenous gardening techniques environmentally conscious but also low effort. This makes it a no brainer on why Indigenous gardening techniques should be respected and seen as how efficient they are.

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Who are some well known Indigenous gardeners?

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Who are some well known Indigenous gardeners?

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Coleen Rajotee is a pretty well known Indigenous gardener. She spreads her knowledge through her television show called Vitality Garden. Coleen Rajotee is a Cree woman who started her gardening journey in 2011 to prove that anyone can garden regardless of who they are and where they're from.

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Admin, & Name. (2024, August 2). Indigenous gardening practices - youth in food systems. Youth in Food Systems - Engaging Youth in Food Exploration. https://seeds.ca/schoolfoodgardens/indigenous-gardening-practices/

“‘Today We Have Gardens but before We Designed... Entire Landscapes.’” WWF.CA, 30 Sept. 2022, wwf.ca/stories/indigenous-food-forests-traditional-knowledge-conservation/.

About The Author                                                    Robin Sweetser    Robin has been a contributor to The Old Farmer’s Almanac and the All-Seasons Garden Guide for many years. Read More from Robin Sweetser, et al. “10 Traditional Native American Gardening Techniques.” Almanac.Com, 24 June 2024, www.almanac.com/10-traditional-native-american-gardening-techniques.

About The Author                                                    Robin Sweetser    Robin has been a contributor to The Old Farmer’s Almanac and the All-Seasons Garden Guide for many years. Read More from Robin Sweetser, et al. “10 Traditional Native American Gardening Techniques.” Almanac.Com, 24 June 2024, www.almanac.com/10-traditional-native-american-gardening-techniques.

“Untapped Potential of Indigenous Agriculture.” Smart Prosperity Institute, institute.smartprosperity.ca/untapped-potential-of-Indigenous-agriculture#:~:text=The%20inherent%20benefits%20of%20Indigenous,the%20resiliency%20of%20key%20ecosystems. Accessed 16 Jan. 2025.

Robson, Diana Bizecki. “Dr. Diana Bizecki Robson.” Manitoba Museum, 27 Feb. 2024, manitobamuseum.ca/a-brief-history-of-indigenous-agriculture/#:~:text=Indigenous%20agriculture%20has%20a%20long,Crescent%20of%20the%20Middle%20East.

About The Author                                                    Robin Sweetser    Robin has been a contributor to The Old Farmer’s Almanac and the All-Seasons Garden Guide for many years. Read More from Robin Sweetser, et al. “10 Traditional Native American Gardening Techniques.” Almanac.Com, 24 June 2024, www.almanac.com/10-traditional-native-american-gardening-techniques.

DeSante, Katrianna. “Unearthing Indigenous Roots with Coleen Rajotee.” Canadian Geographic, Canadian Geographic, 11 July 2024, canadiangeographic.ca/articles/unearthing-indigenous-roots-with-coleen-rajotee/.