By Scout Nelson
The University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is introducing two new garden exhibits that celebrate Indigenous farming traditions, seed keeping, and sustainable agriculture. The exhibits help visitors learn how traditional knowledge continues to support healthy land, strong communities, and future food production.
Brownson Arebojie, Garden Exhibit Coordinator highlighted that the new exhibits are created with Indigenous partners to share important agricultural traditions through educational displays. The gardens encourage visitors to understand how Indigenous communities have cared for the land through generations using practical and environmentally responsible farming methods.
One exhibit, the Hidatsa Earth Lodge Agriculture garden, is inspired by the farming traditions of the Hidatsa people. It demonstrates mound-based planting and features the Four Sisters growing method. In this system, corn, beans, squash, and sunflowers work together to improve soil health, support plant growth, and create a balanced ecosystem. The display also reflects traditional earth lodge designs that symbolize harmony with nature.
The second exhibit, Anishinaabeg Gitigaan – The Original People’s Garden, focuses on traditional Ojibwe seed keeping and the importance of protecting ancient plants with cultural and spiritual value. The garden includes food and medicinal plants that reflect generations of Indigenous knowledge and demonstrate the close relationship between people, nature, and agriculture.
The exhibits also highlight the importance of preserving native seeds, maintaining biodiversity, and using environmentally friendly farming practices. Visitors can explore how Indigenous communities have long practiced sustainable agriculture by protecting soil, saving seeds, and working closely with natural ecosystems.
"I hope visitors come away inspired to be good stewards of the land," said Naawakweose, a traditional Ojibwe seedkeeper, educator, woodworker, herbalist, cultural practitioner and enrolled member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. "We are related to the world around us, the food, the land, the animals. It’s a circle, and within the circle, we have the responsibility to caretake the land and water and not pollute."
The exhibits also recognize the work of Marique "Miriguá Miásh" Moss and Naawakweose, who continue sharing Indigenous knowledge through education, storytelling, seed preservation, and cultural programs. Together, the gardens demonstrate how traditional agricultural practices remain valuable for building sustainable food systems while preserving Indigenous heritage for future generations.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-joshua-resnick
Categories: Minnesota, General