Healing garden harvest offers teachings and connection
The St. Paul’s Hospital (SPH) healing garden offers a peaceful place where patients, families, staff and physicians can go to connect with nature and with one another. The healing garden is also known as miyo-opikihitowin, which translates from Cree as, "a good place for growing together in knowledge and health." It has introduced nearly 100 native plants back into the ecosystem and an Indigenous medicine circle has been established with the four sacred medicines: tobacco (kistemaw), sweetgrass (wihkaskwa), sage (paskwawihwaskwa), and cedar (miyahasikan). The garden is cared for by the SPH Green Thumb Committee, which is chaired by SPH Artist-in-Residence, Marlessa Wesolowski.
On March 17, Anishinaabe Knowledge Keeper, Vernon Linklater led a bundle-making session where plants harvested from the garden’s Indigenous medicine circle were bundled to share with patients, visitors and staff. The session offered an opportunity to sit and connect with each other and share Indigenous teachings on the sacredness of Indigenous medicines.
The SPH Healing Arts Program is made possible through the generous financial support of the St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation and countless volunteer hours of SPH staff. The garden is a living example of our shared commitment as treaty people to honoring and sharing Indigenous ways of living, sharing knowledge and teachings, and is an example of living out the SHA’s CARES values (compassion, accountability, respect, equity and safety).
Anishinaabe Knowledge Keeper, Vernon Linklater, led a bundle-making session where plants harvested from the garden’s Indigenous medicine circle were bundled to share with patients, visitors and staff.