Education and Community Building
Cultivating Unity and Healing: Eminidowang Kitigaan – Spirit Garden for Everyone
Eminidowang Kitigaan (Spirit Garden for Everyone) is a place that brings Indigenous and non-Indigenous people together to grow food and medicinal plants.
The garden is an important part of the Spirit Bundle Program run by Anishnabeg Outreach, which supports more than 450 Indigenous families in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, and Guelph.
The Indigenous Reconciliation Fund (IRF) played a role in creating Eminidowang Kitigaan, a place where people from all backgrounds and ages work together to grow food, traditional medicines, honey, and maple syrup. It is about more than just farming; it is a space for building relationships and learning about Indigenous Traditional Knowledge related to growing food and making medicines. The project also addresses important issues like food insecurity, preserving traditional medicines and reconnecting people to the land and each other. It empowers Indigenous individuals to get involved in sustainable farming, promoting food sovereignty and land preservation efforts.
Additionally, the Spirit Garden project focuses on education and skill-building. It offers training in agriculture, construction and the food and restaurant industry, providing opportunities for personal and professional growth and capacity building in Indigenous communities.
Eminidowang Kitigaan is a place where nature and humanity coexist peacefully, and where reconciliation between communities becomes a reality. It offers a model for unity and healing that can be replicated across the country.To learn more about Anishnabeg Outreach and the Eminidowang Kitigaan – Spirit Garden for Everyone project, visit their website at https://aocan.org/.
More about Anishnabeg Outreach
Anishnabeg Outreach was established in 1996 in Kitchener, Ontario. It became a charitable organization in 2005 and started offering employment services the same year. In 2018, they opened their first Indigenous healing center and have since provided a range of support services, including a food program, employment center, tutoring, and sports programming. Their work focuses on helping communities in a practical and caring way.
Diocese of Hamilton
