Healing garden planned next to municipal building

By John Watson Local Journalism initiative Reporter

The Town of Strathmore is working with members of Siksika Nation to establish a healing garden adjacent to the new town hall building. 

Astokomii Smith, Indigenous liaison for the town, explained the idea to build the garden started within the Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) department, and happened to be an idea that was shared between departments.

“We started working together and the Indigenous healing garden will be a place to celebrate and learn about Indigenous culture and its traditional medicines that were used by First Nations in this area,” said Smith. “I always think about the Indigenous population in town and what this would mean to them to have a place to connect to their culture and their land again.”

The plan is for the garden to contain traditional herbs and medicines used by the Siksika people.

Donna McCallum, operations manager for the town of Strathmore, said although the plan isn’t set in stone, there is a good idea of what will fill the garden.

“While we’re still clarifying all the plants, we’ve talked about saskatoons, we’ve talked about cedar, sage, sweet grass (and) tobacco,” she explained. “Another thing that will be here is a smudge bowl so people actually can come here and smudge.”

Smudging is a form of purification common to many First Nations. The practise involves the burning of one or more of the sacred medicines and wafting the smoke over oneself.

Smith added before the project left the drawing board, she consulted with Siksika elders, knowledge keepers and traditional herbalists to ensure the garden was built properly according to tradition.

“I wanted to do this in a respectful way to ensure their vision is also honoured, and that we’re not just doing this for us. It’s a combined effort.

“When we had officially sat down with the elders, we wanted to make sure that all protocol was followed as well. We had asked them if there was anything we needed to do before, and they had mentioned a traditional blessing of the land before we start. It’s the way it’s always been,” Smith explained.

Randy Alexander, an elder who blessed the site where the garden will be planted, said he’s excited for it to begin construction, and to help guide the planting once the site is ready.

“The garden grows into new life, and things in town here can change for the surrounding communities to have new life and bring a new beginning to the town of Strathmore,” he said. “It gives us a chance to say that communities are for people to be together, to grasp each other and hold each other in unity.”

The town is aiming to have the project completed and planted by July 1.