Miziwe Biik Aboriginal Employment
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Miziwe Biik Aboriginal Employment and Indigenous Garden
Miziwe Biik Aboriginal Employment Centre, National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. Image courtesy of Mike Buckland.
Mural along the Miziwe Biik Aboriginal Employment Centre. Image by Mike Buckland.
Sun Garden Sign at the Sun Garden of Mizwe Biik , National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.
Listen to Mike Buckland speak about Miziwe Biik Aboriginal Employment and Indigenous Garden, located at 167 Gerrard Street East. Mike identifies as Mi’kmaq, English, and Irish. He has been working as an educator for over a decade, first as a historical blacksmith and leatherworker and now as an Instructor with the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centers.
Miziwe Biik functions as an Employment and Training Centre for the Indigenous community in Toronto. Founded in 1991, the Training Centre received its name from Elder Jim Wendigo of the Nigigoonsiminikaaning First Nation. Its name represents when a stone is dropped into a body of water and creates a ripple. That ripple travels outward impacting the entire body of water. Miziwe Biik wants to be the ripple touching the entire community.
The community garden at Miziwe Biik was revitalized in 2022 through a collaboration with several organizations. The garden project was funded by Toronto Metropolitan University and designed by the Indigenous-owned Minnikaan Innovation & Design. It is maintained by Friends of Allan Gardens as well as through community assistance. Some of the plants grown in the garden, such as tobacco and sage are used in ceremonies. Others, like the berries, onion, and sunflowers, play an important role in traditional methods of food supply.
The garden’s role in traditional food supply aligns with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls (18-24), which regards improving health outcomes for Indigenous peoples. Education about traditional foodways, gardening, and agriculture can play an essential role in nutrition and health for Indigenous communities, connected to both physical and cultural wellbeing. In an urban landscape, the community garden is represents an important Indigenous connection to the land and sustainable agricultural practices.
Building understanding and bridging gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities is a fundamental goal of reconciliation. The collaboration of different organizations and the involvement of the broader community in maintaining the garden is a tangible step towards building those bridges. It encapsulates the partnerships advocated by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.
Additional Resources:
Miziwe Biik’s garden illustrates how food and Indigenous food education can help the process of decolonization and reconciliation. Learn more about Indigenous food ways.