Promoting Indigenous food sovereignty and alternative food systems empowers Indigenous youth facing food insecurity.
At Laurier, many Indigenous students experience food insecurity and benefit from localized campus food distribution systems. The Indigenous Food Sovereignty and Medicine Garden offers a practical solution to supporting student nutrition, and access to traditional medicines.
The project provides employment and volunteer opportunities, helping Indigenous students connect to the land and learn valuable life skills in a supportive environment of community gardeners. Laurier’s Waterloo campus Indigenous Student Centre is crucial in building a supportive community for approximately 250 Indigenous Students in an urban setting lacking Indigenous representation.
This initiative leverages the Centre’s understanding of Indigenous student experiences, uniting staff and resources to address their unique challenges. One Indigenous student staff member will manage the 1550 sq ft garden, overseeing everything from germinating seedlings to harvesting crops. They will receive mentorship from experienced staff and collaborate with others during “volunteer days” to maintain the garden.
During harvest season, the produce will be freely distributed through group lunches, event meals, or as take-home items, with any excess shared with other campus food distribution programs.
The garden is an ongoing project. With the proposed enhancements and community events, we anticipate to complete garden enhancements in Fall of 2027.
At Laurier, over 250 Indigenous students attend the Waterloo campus, often living far from their Indigenous communities. The Indigenous Student Centre serves as a vital hub where these students can build and sustain a supportive community in an urban environment that lacks inherent Indigenous representation. This initiative leverages the Centre’s understanding of the lived Indigenous student experience and unites staff and available resources to address the unique challenges faced by Indigenous university students. This initiative is not effectively “just another” project, but rather an extension of both the Centre and Laurier’s ongoing mission to support and empower Indigenous students.
Indigenous students at Laurier will directly benefit from this initiative through increased access to fresh or canned/preserved produce and traditional medicines at the centre. Beyond these immediate benefits, the initiative offers several operational advantages. By redirecting the budget from typical grocery purchases, the centre can allocate more resources towards delivering impactful cultural programming such as off-campus sweat lodge ceremonies or community Elders.
This initiative provides comprehensive summer employment for an Indigenous student, offering them the opportunity to work in an Indigenous community while gaining life-long skills.
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This garden is an incredible initiative by the Waterloo ISC, providing jobs for students and valuable food programs & preservation knowledge to our community.
A great opportunity to provide land based learning for Indigenous students living in an urban spaces
Love this project idea, expanding a program that already provides value to students and the larger community!
Food security is a vital component of healthy living. The more resources we can provide for a successful food chain, the higher the impact for all.