A Medicine Wheel garden inspired by Indigenous teachings is now growing on McGill’s downtown campus, south of Burnside Hall.
Circular and divided into four equal quadrants, the garden features tobacco, eastern red cedar, sage and sweetgrass, as well as native pollinator plants.
The idea for the garden came from Robin Boulet, a Bachelor of Arts and Science student.
“I was looking for a project that could help uplift and foster a sense of community,” said Boulet. “Knowing I’ve contributed to something that has now grown beyond me into a space for all is so rewarding.”
The garden aligns with McGill’s 52 Calls to Action, which aims to ensure McGill’s campuses reflect McGill’s commitment to Indigenous education.
“It’s important not only to acknowledge the original people who live in close relationship to these lands, but to also represent their valuable knowledge here at McGill,” said Diane Dechief, a Métis Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Science and Director of the Bachelor of Arts and Science degree program. “There is a lot of potential for the ways people will be able to engage with the Medicine Wheel garden going forward.”
An inclusive space
Boulet was enrolled in a course taught by Dechief, BASC 201: Arts and Science Integrative Topics, and was assigned to read a paper on Medicine Wheel theory by Amy Shawanda, an Anishnaabe from Wikwemikong Unceded Territory and an Assistant Professor in McGill’s Department of Global and Public Health.
The Anishnaabe Medicine Wheel is a visual representation of Indigenous people illustrating balance and wholeness; it represents the life cycles of humans, birds, plants and seasons, forming a rich conceptual framework to interpret the world. In a garden, its four quadrants are aligned with the four cardinal directions in corresponding colours: yellow to the south, white to the north, red to the east and black or dark purple to the west.
Soon after taking the course, Boulet attended a harvesting workshop led by Ingrid Birker, a retired staff member who served as Science Outreach Administrator at the Redpath Museum. Birker tends to several McGill gardens, including the space south of Burnside Hall. When she mentioned the garden’s sweetgrass and white sagebrush – both gifted from First Peoples’ House – were not doing well in their current location, Boulet suggested the Medicine Wheel be applied to the garden’s design.
“I was interested in taking this theory beyond a PDF and applying it to the garden,” said Boulet.
“My reaction was, ‘Of course!’,” said Birker, who was already familiar with the concept.
Dechief was delighted by the idea.
“Robin’s engagement with course materials in this practical yet creative way really impressed me,” she said. “It’s the kind of connection that I love to see students making, and it’s resulted in a project that transforms our campus in a meaningful way. Placing the garden next to a space where learning in math, chemistry and geography occurs reminds us of the existence of Indigenous knowledge within and alongside these academic disciplines.”
Seasonal celebrations
To kickstart their initiative, Boulet and Birker applied to McGill’s Sustainability Projects Fund (SPF). Open to all McGill students, staff and faculty, the SPF provides financial support for sustainability projects – funding over 400 projects since 2010.
Approved for a $300 budget, Boulet and Birker used it to buy topsoil and Indigenous pollinator seedlings; a planting event took place in late May.
Among the participants were Dechief, Birker and Pasha Partridge, Indigenous Representation and Events Officer from McGill’s Office of Indigenous Initiatives (OII).
“It was nice to be a part of an event relevant to Indigenous representation,” said Partridge, who officially opened the event by transplanting the sweetgrass and sage. “A lot of thought and care was put into this project, and the OII will continue helping any way we can.”
Plans are already being made to incorporate the Medicine Wheel garden in seasonal ceremonies; it will host a basket weaving activity in late August.
“I hope people will enjoy walking by the garden, take the time to think about the kind of balance the Medicine Wheel represents and how it asks us to reflect on our own passage through time and the seasons,” said Dechief. “For people who already understand the Medicine Wheel, it may be comforting to see one at McGill. For people who aren’t familiar with the design, it may simply seem beautiful, or maybe they’ll dig to learn more.”
Boulet spent the summer at home in B.C., so he’ll see the garden for the first time when he returns to campus in the fall.
“I’m so excited to see it all in person, and I have a lot of hope for this project’s future. Maybe we’ll even see it continue to thrive for the next generation.”