a new W̱SÁNEĆ ethnobotanical garden
and cultural works exhibit on S,ḴŦAḴ / Mayne Island, BC
ḴÁLḴIȽĆ / rose
Learn the pronounciation
Walking towards reconciliation
ŚTEṈIST ȻENTOL EȻSIÁ TĆÁNȻE (shtung,eest cwun-tall ucw-see-ya T-chane-Cwu) / Walking Forward With The Past is a new wetland ethnobotanical garden and art exhibit celebrating W̱SÁNEĆ knowledge and culture on SḴŦAḴ / Mayne Island.
This project is a collaboration between the Campbell Bay Music Festival Society and W̱SÁNEĆ partners including Elders, artists, the PEPÁḴEṈ HÁUTW̱ Foundation, and W̱SÁNEĆ Curator Rose Spahan. Island partners include the Mayne Island Agricultural Society and Mayne Island Conservancy.
The garden site is in Miners Bay, on the unceded traditional territories of the Straits Salish peoples, on the island called SḴŦAḴ in SENĆOŦEN and later called Mayne in English. On the island is Tsartlip Reserve #6 which gives our community a special relationship with the W̱JOȽEȽP / Tsartlip village near Brentwood Bay, who are part of the W̱SÁNEĆ First Nation. Our vision is to advance reconciliation and learning, and promote a diverse and inclusive society including honouring underrepresented and marginalized communities in our history. Our commitment is to build good relationships with the W̱SÁNEĆ people. We are grateful to live in their territory and look forward to working together in a good way to create a strong, tangible W̱SÁNEĆ presence on SḴŦAḴ / Mayne Island.
“I can see what we call the SŁEQȺ, the sacred grasses that grow here…Maybe we will grow together. Maybe we will grow. Because water brings growth to us and gives us all a good life force.” - J,SIṈTEN / Dr John Elliott, W̱JOȽEȽP / Tsartlip Elder at the project launch on the site of the wetland garden.
DAḴE / salal
Learn the pronounciation
Art in the landscape
Part of the garden is a permanent outdoor art exhibit, including murals by W̱SÁNEĆ artist Sarah Jim, Welcome poles carved by W̱JOȽEȽP artists TEMOSEṈ Chazz Elliott and Matthew Parlby-Elliott, and interpretive signage.
The signage in the ethnobotanical landscape will educate visitors about native plants’ resilience and traditional uses. Information will be shared about the W̱SÁNEĆ world view in which the natural world takes care of humans, which engenders human responsibility to care for the natural world.
Close to the garden site is the W̱SÁNEĆ village site called ÁLELEṈ, referring to XIAȻECTEN’s Dance Houses at the head of Miner’s Bay, and also YÁIYEMNEĆ, ‘rising water’, a nearby fresh-water spring - indications that this location has long been culturally important to W̱SÁNEĆ people.
S,ŦXÁLEM / sword fern
Learn the pronounciation
Breaking ground together
The site for the ethnobotanical garden is disturbed ground, containing agronomic non-native grasses and weedy species, with an overstory of native trees. Our project includes rehabilitating the compacted soils and planting native shrub and forb layers, thereby increasing the carbon uptake and structural diversity of the site.
The disturbed wetland area will be restored with native wetland and wetland associated food and medicinal plant species, which will contribute to correcting the degraded wetland’s function and increasing its carbon absorption.
Through a partnership with the Mayne Island Agricultural Society, we’ve set up a maintenance fund to help the garden flourish into the future. Learn more, and become a part of making the garden sustainable!
