Shawn Wallace, Healthy Lifestyles Manager for the Lil’wat Nation, has been working on the Lil’wat Community garden project since 2008. She was asked last year what she liked about the garden.

“What I like about the garden is that it’s not only a place to plant seeds and harvest food.

The garden is made in the shape of a medicine wheel. We have boxes in all of the four directions and it’s a sacred place to go and meet and just be with one another and the land.

Yes, physical seeds are planted and vegetables grow – but also I believe that seeds are planted because of the workshops that happen in the garden; the one-on-ones with counselors, with the nurses, with many people from all of our departments. Seeds are planted in minds of the people that are in the garden and beautiful things grow from that. That’s what I feel that happens in the sacred space of the garden. Yes, we have lots of weeds up there and we do always need help in the garden. Our goal eventually is to have our own market in our community so that people can come and purchase the beautiful things that are grown in our garden.

That’s what I love about the garden.”