Indigenous Garden & Ceremonial Space
Imagining & Building a Sustainable Community Rooted in Tradition
The Indigenous Garden and Ceremonial Space is a visionary project, promoting environmental justice, cultural revitalization, and sustainable community support.
Through a whole-systems approach, the initiative focuses on restoring ancestral land stewardship, traditional ecological knowledge, and food sovereignty, while building resilience against the adverse effects of climate change.
Brought to you in partnership by:
Land and Cultural Revival
The project involves transforming a 3.5-acre site into a flourishing Indigenous Garden and Ceremonial Space that centers traditional Indigenous ecological knowledge. This garden will become a beacon of Indigenous land-tending, regenerative agriculture and a source of resilience and healing for the community.
Key Components:
Restoration of Native Ecology: Led by The Cultural Conservancy, focusing on healthy soils, waters, and native habitats.
Programming for Native Relatives: Friendship House will lead programs targeting Indigenous youth, recovery, and the broader Native community, incorporating seven specific self care behaviors reflective of traditional values.
Community Engagement: A series of initiatives aiming to educate and involve the American Indian community in traditional food preparation, cultivation of medicinal plants, and cultural practices.
Broader Public Engagement: Engaging residents of San Francisco, visitors from around the world, local schools, and universities with the purpose of building bridges so that non-indigenous people can learn more about the histories and experiences of the land’s first stewards and their long relationship with the land.
Transformative Impact for Community and Environment
The Indigenous Garden aims to transform not only the physical landscape but also the cultural and community fabric, aligning with the city’s broader climate change and disaster preparedness goals.
Key Benefits:
Cultural and Ecological Education: Programs focusing on traditional ecological knowledge and sustainable practices.
Food Sovereignty and Health: Production of traditional foods and medicinal herbs, aiming to improve health and wellbeing.
Job Creation and Training: Workforce development programs and internships in urban agriculture and social work fields.
A Coalition of Partners
Reflecting a broad coalition of community-based organizations, city government partners, and stakeholders. The project engages with a wide spectrum of community members and leverages the support and expertise of multiple agencies and organizations.
Community Organizations
Government Agencies
Financial Investment & Sustainability
Total budget: $7.65M
This includes a significant grant from the California State Coastal Conservancy. Additional funding is anticipated from a variety of federal, state, and local agencies.
Sustainability Strategies
Financial: Leveraging staff, grants, program income, and volunteer stewardship for ongoing operations.
Environmental: Commitment to sustainable farming techniques and restoration of native ecology.
Questions or Comments?
For further information or to get involved, contact: Stephan Cheney, project lead, StephanC@FriendshipHouseSF.com
