Ted Rogers Healing Garden

Ted Rogers school welcomes consultation for Indigenous healing garden. Toronto Metropolitan University. (2021, March 1): https://www.torontomu.ca/tedrogersschool/news-events/2021/02/ted-rogers-school-welcomes-consultation-for-indigenous-healing-garden/

• The picture above shows where the healing garden will be located.
• “Indigenous Peoples have always known that plants are our helpers, and offer powerful medicines that improve physical, mental and spiritual health. In response to Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, the Ted Rogers School is aiming to create an Indigenous healing garden in the outdoor courtyard of the school to help Indigenous students and staff to feel at home on campus and to educate the entire TMU community about aspects of Indigenous culture, while also addressing many of the health and wellness issues currently faced by students.”
• “Currently, the school’s 7th floor courtyard is home to the Ted Rogers Urban Garden – a micro food-security garden that grows a variety of vegetables, herbs and fruit that are then donated to meal programs in our community.”
• “We have assembled a community-based interdisciplinary team to lead the planning of this new green-roof garden. The goal is to transform a predominantly paved courtyard into a welcoming green space for healing that honours Indigenous peoples.”

Interview with Michael Mihalicz (Indigenous Advisor, Office of the Dean, TRSM) regarding the implementation of the healing garden:

Q: Can you tell me more about the process of determining what art/installation/space is created and how Indigenous community members at the university are involved?

A: “Our entire approach is centered on building and strengthening relationships with Indigenous peoples both within the university and beyond. We always start these initiatives by forming an advisory circle that includes Indigenous students, staff and faculty as well as Elders and Knowledge Keepers. The goal of these advisory circles is to help with visioning and to establish principles that will guide the development of the project. This is important to ensure these initiatives are Indigenous-led and that they align with community needs. We will also typically include a community consultation phase to create a space where internal and external stakeholders can voice their thoughts and ideas. In the case of the TRSM Indigenous Healing Garden, this took the form of three design workshops – one with only Indigenous participants, one with only non-Indigenous participants and a final session that brought everyone together to share ideas.”

Q: Why is Indigenous culture and ways of knowing so important to have on our campus?

A: “It’s important for there to be representation of Indigenous peoples and culture on campus for several reasons – not the least of which is encouraging more Indigenous student enrollment. Some of the most commonly reported barriers to postsecondary education are experiences of racism, expectations of racism, and ingrained colonial structures that Indigenous students perceive as being unwelcoming or unaccepting of Indigenous ways of knowing and being. Despite this, efforts to Indigenize or decolonize these spaces too often focus only on barriers and enablers. While these need to be considered and addressed, many of the systemic issues go much deeper.”

Q: What do you hope Indigenous community members, as well as non-Indigenous community members, take away from seeing Indigenous art and ways of knowing represented at the university?

A: “Our goals for these initiatives are to:

• Create a more inclusive environment through the presentation of a different worldview, and to enhance and enrich the educational and cultural experience of the educational community.

• Bridge differences in worldviews by cultivating a shared appreciation and respect for diversity of thought and experience.

• Foster a greater awareness of Indigenous cultures, knowledges and perspectives amongst non-Indigenous members.

• Acknowledge the land and treaty territory on which the university now sits.

• Develop a deeper understanding of Canada’s history of colonization and its influence on current relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

• Encourage Indigenous student engagement in academia.

• Foster an appreciation for Indigenous cultures and worldviews and the contributions that Indigenous peoples have made towards making this nation what it is today.”