Okanagan, UOIT introduce new Indigenous gardens

Okanagan College has collaborated with Westbank First Nation and the City of Kelowna on the design and launch of a new Indigenous garden on its campus. The na’ʔk’ʷulamən garden, which roughly translates to “the things we do,” will be used as a teaching and learning site for students, campus, the Indigenous community, and the public. The green space includes nearly 50 varieties of plants of cultural and historic significance to local Indigenous peoples. The University of Ontario Institute of Technology has also established two Indigenous gardens as part of a new community involvement initiative. UOIT reports that its new garden beds feature local native flora purchased from Native Plants of Claremont, as well as the traditional Indigenous sacred medicinal plants white sage and tobacco. A future raised garden bed will see the addition of cedar and sweetgrass. Okanagan | Kelowna Now (Okanagan) | UOIT