Mustimuhw Shpupunum Community Plantings Program

The Mustimuhw Shpupunum Community Plantings Program is a Land-based, inclusive, and experiential initiative that brings together youth, adults, and Elders to cultivate a garden dedicated to traditional medicinal plants and essential food crops. This project is aimed to protect cultural landscapes, strengthen connections to traditional plant knowledge, and honour Elder wisdom by engaging in the growing, harvesting, and processing of these plants and crops. These garden programs have occurred throughout Vancouver Island and continue to grow today in multiple locations, weaving communities together. Originating in 2023, the smun’eem of Stz’uminus First Nation came together to build the Mustimuhw Shpupunum Community Garden - a place to learn about swe’tst tumuhw shpupunum, our Land plantings. The smun’eem worked with Elders to explore traditional medicinal plants, germinate seedlings, create Hul’q’umi’num’ signage for their garden, build a fence with the students from the Sxwi’em’ Shelh Story Trails program, and write a book about the process. With permission, this work has been photographed and documented to inspire Land-based literacy and Place-based learning. Huy tseep q’u sii’em to all who have made this possible.