Reciprocity through Earth Tending

Boozhoo akina niij-bemaadizijig

Hello my fellow people

Niwii-wanishkwetaagoz ajina

I want to interrupt for a little bit

Ninga-kaagiigid bangii noongom

I want to talk a little bit today

Gaawiin aapiji ninitaa-anishinaabemosiin,

I am not fluent in the language

Mii go ji-gashkitooyaan,

It is thus, that i shall work at being able

ji-nitaa-anishinaabemoyaan.

To be fluent when speaking in the language

Gibwanisi indizhinikaaz

My name is Red-tailed hawk

Mkwa indoodem

I am from the Bear Clan

Anishinaabe indaaw

I am an Anishinaabe

Winnipeg ingii-ondaadiz

I was born in Winnipeg

Chi minising, miinawaa Tadoule Lake indoonjibaa

I come from Beausoliel and Tadoule Lake

Belleville indanakii.

I live in Belleville

Ingii-tazhi-nitaawigi'igoog

I was raised by

Glen miinwaa Nora gii-izhinkaazwag nigitziimbaniig

My late parents Nora and Glen

Aapiji geget nijiikendam mii omaa

I am truly happy to be here today

Mii dash ozhibii’amoonagog

So that I can write to you all

Gaa-izhiwebiziyaan megwaa

What happened to me while

Apii gii-gikinoo’amaagoziyaan imaa SpruceLlab-in

When I was taught there at SpruceLab

Earlier this year I graduated from the Anishinaabemowin Program Development at Georgian College with the intention of enrolling at Trent University for Indigenous Environmental Studies. One of my friends on Facebook shared a job posting about SpruceLab’s Earth Tending program.  I was hesitant to apply for the position, as it was a short-term training program, but I thought that the opportunity to learn about green infrastructure would be highly beneficial as I was going to university to learn about green infrastructure!

I wasn’t sure what to expect in the program, perhaps learning about permeable pavement or things of that nature, but I was to learn that green infrastructure goes way beyond just permeable pavement.  It was indeed more about ecological ways in which we can build sustainable communities.

The program was quite vast, encompassing a variety of topics like:

●       Pollinator gardens

●       Tree care

●       Urban water

●       Green roofs

●       Rain gardens

●       Green infrastructure operations and maintenance

●       Food production

A typical day usually meant that we arrived in the morning at the Centre for Social Innovation (we were always given transit fare to get to and from locations) and had either in-person or online instruction.  Then in the afternoon, we would visit a site around the city that would complement the online instruction.  On other days, for trips outside of the city, we would meet at a specific subway station, where we would board a charter bus to take us to our location (Our first day, and opening ceremony took place at Morning Dew Meadows in Claremont, east of Toronto).

I was initially drawn to the construction side of things, like learning about urban water with Jay Michels (EOR Inc.), and learning about bioretention and bioswales (a technical term to describe an element that captures or slows water runoff using vegetation).  But as the program progressed and we started learning about planting trees and vegetation for rain gardens, I became more aware of the importance of this type of work.  Rain gardens are especially important in urban settings like Toronto because there is so much rainwater runoff.  This runoff (from rooftops, parking lots, and roadways), empty their contents into the storm sewers.  Rain gardens help reduce the amount of water runoff that ends up in the storm sewer by detaining it for a short while, whilst watering the vegetation in the garden.  Specific types of vegetation are chosen for their ability to withstand the elements and for their ability to pollinate and produce more vegetation.

Creating a rain garden at a Toronto refugee shelter, with RAINscapeTO.

I had learned about rooftop gardening in a course I had taken at George Brown College called Sustainable Construction.  But alas, we had not witnessed an actual rooftop garden.  George Brown had given me the technical understanding of rooftop gardening and all its components, but our trip to Toronto Metropolitan University to see the Indigenous Foodways Program allowed us to see an actual rooftop garden in progress.

Toronto Metropolitan University’s Urban Farm, Daphne Cockwell Health Sciences Complex.

Sheila, the owner of SpruceLab, and who is among many things a professional landscape architect, showed us one of the projects that she had designed!  And now I was in construction heaven!

My experience at SpruceLab was excellent, as I thought that it was very well-organized, with booklets and literature for each day or event that we went to.  There were always instructions on how to get there, transit fare to get to and from each location.  The instructors were chosen for their knowledge and their past relationships built with Sheila, and incorporated a unique blend of Indigenous Knowledge with Western science.  For example, one day we learned about why bioretention swales are good for rainwater runoff, and then we heard from Luana Shirt from an Indigenous perspective about the cultural and spiritual significance of water.  Both perspectives served to complement each other, and I felt that the entire program used that formula throughout the six weeks.  In my opinion this is important, because it helps bring two different worldviews together, and when relationships can be formed from different perspectives it teaches us to be accepting of one another.  And thus, we can build sustainable relationships from that end.  Green infrastructure is about sustainability after all!

Fairford Parkette at the corner of Fairford Ave. and Coxwell Ave., Toronto

Lastly, SpruceLab was highly motivated to help employ Indigenous people, evidenced by the multiple times we had guests in to speak about employment and training.  Or Sheila herself sending out job opportunities when they were available.  I myself was fortunate that I was able to secure a job from one of the events that we went to.  And if I’m not mistaken, I know another trainee was also hired through the program.

While I was reluctant at first to try this training, I am glad that I did.  I met some great and interesting people, I learned some very valuable information, and most importantly I had built up a network of contacts whom I have contacted several times already to help me understand sustainability, plant identification and a host of other things!  I am glad that I was offered this opportunity, as it has helped me in so many different ways.

Mii sa iw.

That is it.