Photos of First Nations, Metis and Inuit Gardens courtesy Teri Sherwood, Niagara College.
First Nations Gardens were planted near the Niagara-on-the-Lake campus wetlands at Niagara College to provide learning experiences for visitors, employees and students. Funding for the garden was provided by the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities in support of Aboriginal environmental and horticultural initiatives at Niagara College. Included in the garden are native plants and special features that are important for ceremonial, food, medicinal and other needs. The garden was focused on in the Aboriginal Knowledge course, covering topics such as historical and current uses of plants by First Nations, ecology, food science, and agriculture. Students and visitors are able to learn how to identify plants and their habitats, grow edible foods and process plants for various activities such as preparing medicine and building storage containers.