Medicine Garden Project assists Indigenous Elders
By Cody Lloyd , Communications Specialist with the Medicine Wheel
Immune-sparking medicine and food is distributed locally to isolated Elders during the pandemic .
When the pandemic reached Saskatchewan in March 2020 , isolated Elders in the Regina community asked Wellness Wheel ( a not-forprofit community-led clinical and research team ) for help with accessing traditional medicines .
Due to public health orders , travelling to gather medicines was not an option . Dr . JoLee Sasakamoose , Wellness Wheel ’ s Research Director , consulted with Elders and was granted permission to grow traditional medicines using aeroponics .
Sasakamoose planted the first aeroponic Tower Garden of Mushkeeki Gitigan ( Medicine Garden ) in the Spring of 2020 , along with several outdoor gardens . Second and third tower gardens were added later and planted within Wellness Wheel to keep up with the demand for immunesparking medicines and foods yearround .
Each Medicine Garden has a keeper who watches over the garden and an Elder to ensure local Indigenous protocols are respected . Community members and students are encouraged to get involved . Sasakamoose has learned how to dehydrate , diffuse , pressure cook and preserve the plants and foods to fully use everything produced or donated to Mushkeeki Gitigan .
Once others became aware of the Mushkeeki Gitigan ( Medicine Garden ), Wellness Wheel , they supported the initiative by planting Medicine Gardens across Saskatchewan . There are currently seven aeroponic Medicine Gardens with plans of many more for a busy Spring 2021 .
Mushkeeki Gitigan has spread to elementary schools and universities with future placements destined for pharmacies and non-profit organizations across Saskatchewan .
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