NSCC weaves Indigenous knowledge with Western research to support sustainable sweetgrass cultivation in the community
From the Springboard Content Lab
Sweetgrass has been woven into Indigenous culture and medicine in Nova Scotia for generations.
A community-led collaboration between Indigenous communities and Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) is supporting sustainable sweetgrass cultivation in the community.
The goal is to make sweetgrass more accessible to Indigenous users.
Learning from Elders and Knowledge Keepers
The research blends traditional knowledge passed on by Elders with ecology to optimize conditions for growing sweetgrass using modern agricultural methods such as fertilizer and raised garden beds.
As the project evolved, it became apparent that bringing sweetgrass closer to the communities that use it would be the best way to ensure the plant’s survival.
NSCC project lead, Rachel Kendall, said that that while she knows the ecology of the sweetgrass plant, she didn’t have hands-on experience and generational knowledge held by community members who have cultivated, gathered and propagated sweetgrass for centuries.
Rachel Kendall,
Elders and knowledge keepers know so much about the growth patterns of this plant. In its natural habitat, sweetgrass stands tall. However, when I shared my concern about its shorter growth in garden beds, an Indigenous Elder offered an important insight: ‘It’s missing its friends.’
NSCC project lead
Sweetgrass “needs friends” nearby
The Elders explained to Kendall that sweetgrass thrives when it’s surrounded by its fellow grasses, much like in a vibrant saltmarsh ecosystem.
“This is something I wouldn’t have thought of without engaging in a meaningful conversation with a community member.”
The research is a partnership between the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq (CMM), Unama’Ki Institute of Natural Resources (UINR) and NSCC researchers.
NSCC’s Human Rights Equity and Inclusion team recognizes this project as an example of a Two-Eyed Seeing in research practice which is the Indigenous concept of Etuaptmumk.
Local sweetgrass helping youth learn about culture
The Indigenous communities embraced the idea of having their own sweetgrass garden beds in their communities.
Matt Chiasson from CMM points out bringing sweetgrass into the local communities is also helping youth connect with an important aspect of their culture.
They get to learn the ancient tradition of sweetgrass collection and, in the process, become teachers for the generations yet to come. Domesticating sweetgrass in community mother beds is providing access to this sacred plant and restoring culturally significant areas, all while allowing each community to determine its path.
Matt Chiasson,
Cumulative Effects Coordinator
Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq (CMM)
He is focused on empowering communities through knowledge sharing and reclaiming lost habitats.
UINR Earth Keeper, Charlotte Denny, says the project is important to her community. Elders in her community of Eskasoni aren’t always able to travel to sweetgrass habitats to pick sweetgrass.
“These garden beds provide easy access to our sacred medicine to those who lack mobility. To reconnect our Elders with our medicines is extremely important to our healing process.”
The power of collaboration
The sweetgrass collaboration is a testament to the power of community involvement. The research decolonized the knowledge transfer by making participants stewards of the project than just recipients of information.
The research used technology such as environmentally controlled growth chambers for germinating seeds and growth measurement tools, but it also embraced the idea that the non-intrusive approach of letting the plant thrive in nature is an effective method for cultivating sweetgrass.
“Back in May, we established a sweetgrass garden bed, starting from seeds I germinated from a nearby habitat. I was absolutely amazed by the thickness and vitality of the sweetgrass,” said Kendall. “It even has chlorophyll levels and growth that are comparable to those found in the wild.”
The partnership has assembled communities together to cultivate sweetgrass, planting garden beds and pass the knowledge to the next generations.
“It’s a testament to the power of collaboration, where diverse voices and backgrounds came together to breathe new life into a plant that holds a deep-rooted significance for the Mi’kmaq people.”
Joanne Firth, NSCC Industry Liaison Officer, helped to get this project featured in the College and Institutes Canada (CICan) 2024 Symposium – Growing Impact in Applied Research.
Springboard Atlantic is a network of 19 colleges and universities specializing in research commercialization and industry-led research in Atlantic Canada. It is supported by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency , Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and member institutions.