MADISON, WI— The Olbrich Botanical Herb Garden this summer will plant corn, milkweed, sweetgrass and more to pay homage to the indigenous traditions of tribes native to southeastern Wisconsin such as the Ho-Chunk Nation
Given its small size, the Garden has always served as an ideal space to bring in new plants, said Olbrich horticulturist Erin Presley. In this case, it also serves to educate the community about indigenous plants along with the accompanying context and traditions.
And, in an effort to engage community members, Olbrich will host an event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on July 8, serving milkweed soup and encouraging visitors to explore the garden and ask questions.
Presley worked on the garden with Ho-Chunk chef Elena Terry and University of Wisconsin-Madison student group Wunk Sheek, which helped with find native seeds and translate names, an effort Presley described as "reinvigorating indigenous agricultural traditions."
Rita Peters, Olbrich staff cashier who is a part of the Menominee tribe and a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation, helped lead the project.
Food is heavily connected to indigenous cultures, Peters said, especially because that food has been attacked in efforts to assimilate Indigenous peoples.
"No longer having access to our traditional foods changed our relationship with our food and the natural land," Peters said. "Our seeds are our relatives that we've spent time with over generations, cultivating and working together to feed our communities. This relationship between seeds and people plays an important role in supporting indigenous cultures, economies, communities and values."
Some of these indigenous crops have been lost to tribes over the years due to violence, displacement and cultural disruption, Presley said. By bringing them into the herb garden and providing some of this historical context, she said she hopes people can be more cognizant of where food comes from and the culture that surrounds it.
"I guess for my part, is trying to get everybody who comes into the herb garden to have this idea click that there's a lot of history here that we maybe have forgotten about or put aside," Presley said.
While the garden has a lot of ties to the Ho-Chunk Nation, Peters said it incorporates several plants from other, nearby tribes including Ho-Chunk corn and squash, Arikara yellow beans, Potowatomi lima beans, Cherokee trail-of-tears beans and Oneida tobacco.
"Plants that are native and grow wild in these lands don't follow county or state lines to separate regions," Peters explained.
Not only does Peters hope the garden will educate the community, but for her, it was also a way to connect with family and tribal ties.
She was able to work with her aunt, named Rosalene Goodbear on the Ho-Chunk side of her family, to translate seed names. In the garden, Ho-Chunk names will appear next to the English words to "incorporate more into the indigenous garden experience," Peters said.
Her two grandmothers grew up in the nearby Starkweather neighborhood, and they would tell Peters stories of them playing in the gardens. So getting involved at Olbrich, and especially taking a lead on this project, lets Peters share a bit of the Ho-Chunk culture that her family has followed for generations.
And for those who don't have personal ties, Presley said she hopes people can still feel a connected to the garden.
"It's so fun to see people come into the herb garden, and I always hope that no matter who you are or where you're from, you'd be able to see something in the herb garden that makes sense to you or you recognize and make you feel like home," Presley said.
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June 26, 2021 at 03:11AM
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Olbrich Botanical Gardens Introduce Indigenous Herb Garden - Patch.com
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