Our Future

Our Plan

The traditional ecological practices of the Anishinabe and their neighbours, the Haudenosaunee People, are widely seen as some of the most successful sustainable agricultural methods in the world. Our ancestors passed down knowledge of these practices for generations, until colonialism disrupted our traditional foodways. We are now left with communities that survive on store-bought foods and have some of the highest rates of diabetes in the world. We are sick and disconnected from the land that once made us healthy and strong, both physically and spiritually. 

Ga Gitigemi Gamik (We Will Plant Lodge) is envisioned as an ecological centre on a permanent Indigenous-stewarded site, where women and 2SLGBTTQQIA+ persons can work on the land together in a 12-week immersion program that will help them (re)learn ancestral agricultural methods lost to colonization. 

Sustainable agriculture (more recently called permaculture), has always been a way of life for Indigenous People, and this project aims to restore this knowledge, and also reclaim the history, stories, power and significance of Indigenous communities on the land. As most of our communities have moved to a western model of food production and procurement, we need to (re)establish the connection between our land and our food

Our intent is to grow food the way our ancestors did for millenia and in time, these methods will change the environment into a rich, biodiverse ecosystem that is robust and more resistant to climate change. We will grow only ancestral seeds, as part of the Indigenous seed saving movement, which links our Nations together by growing each other’s sacred seeds to save the agricultural heritage that has been lost through displacement and land loss. We will also teach modern techniques, such as greenhouse growing and the business of farming, so that participants can be competitive in other markets when they return to their communities. An important part of the teachings will also centre around food literacy: using the food we grow to improve our health. We will explore wild foods and foraging, as well as traditional agriculture, and learn how to prepare communal foods with elders and community cooks. Indigenous chefs will also be integral in developing new recipes with ancient foods. 

This regenerative, holistic way of looking at the ecosystem mirrors how we will build the organization, how we will make partnerships and how we will teach, with the health and mental health of all in mind. This type of work is invigorating, because we are (re)building old ways of doing things. With the guidance of the Seed Circle and the land itself, we will (re)generate our foodways and our health, making Ga Gitigemi Gamik a model for Land-based Training Initiatives.

Nya:Weh Kowa,

Celeste Smith

Founder