Roots to Resilience
Youth empowerment through culture and land.
In partnership with Haudenosaunee Universe, Akwesasne Mohawk Territory, this beautiful youth-driven program embraced culture, land, and wellness through nurturing gardens, art and cultural activities.
Today was a mindful exploration as Summer Students embarked on a foraging walk led by Jasmine Jimerson, from the traditional medicine program. The walk centered on exploring the edible gifts of the local land, guiding students through fields and meadows in search of wild plants and berries. Together, they gathered a variety of foraged edibles, Purse Lane, Lambs quarter, Red clover, Sorrel, Black caps, Black eyed Susan, Daisies, Raspberries and learning about their culinary and ecological significance. The group worked collaboratively to wash, sort, and prepare their finds, transforming the foraged ingredients into a vibrant, nourishing salad. This hands-on adventure offered more than nourishment; it equipped students with tangible skills to thrive independently of the grocery store, or fast-food lanes. - Louise McDonald Herne, Haudenosaunee Universe, Roots to Resilience
The opening work week at the HU campus blossomed into something extraordinary—a vivid, hands-on odyssey that transcended beyond the confines of a classroom. Under the gentle tutelage of elder gardener Vince Herne and Ahte Lazore, summer students learned with soil under their fingernails and sunlight on their backs. Together, they tended the grounds: weeded flowerbeds, mulched the strawberry beds, and carefully transplanted shoots of strawberries, raspberries, peppers, and tomatoes into the earth. Into fresh furrows, beans were sown with patience and care.
As the afternoons warmed, students sat among the aromatic stands of English lavender, harvesting blooms under the guidance of Wentanoron Morris. In the apothecary shed, bundles of lavender were hung to dry and will later be transformed into healing salves and gentle soaps.
At HU, patience is cultivated as surely as any seed, and respect for the earth is expressed in every deed. At weeks end, students returned home not only enriched with skills and understanding but also bearing fragrant lavender bundles and the refreshing memory of homemade lavender lemonade—a sweet taste of summer, and of wisdom deeply rooted in the land.
Louise McDonald Herne, Haudenosaunee Universe, Roots to Resilience
