Traditional Dakota Gardening
Project Details by Fiscal Year
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$236
Fund Source
Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund
Recipient Type
Libraries
Status
Completed
Start Date
July 2015
End Date
July 2015
Activity Type
Education/Outreach/Engagement
Counties Affected
Watonwan
Project Overview
Cheyanne St. John presented a program at the Watonwan County/St. James Library about the Lower Sioux Indian Community's efforts to create a traditional Dakota garden. This was the first year this was attempted and it has been a real learning experience. For example, she ordered the land to be tilled, but later learned that was not done traditionally and could actually harm the soil. Cheyanne talked about 3 sister gardening, but added that the Lower Sioux garden includes another sister plant. She talked about how the garden used buffalo manure from buffaloes out in South Dakota. The audience had a good chuckle when she talked about the adventure of transporting the manure from the mailbox to the garden. Cheyanne also brought in some traditional tools. Many of the tools served multiple purposes such as the rake which was used for both the garden and in the sweat lodge. The turnout was small, but everyone who attended the program enjoyed it and learned a lot.
Cheyanne St. John is the Assistant Site Manager at the Lower Sioux Tribal Historic Preservation Office. She is an enrolled member of the Lower Sioux Indian Community. The Lower Sioux Indian Community is part of the Mdewakanton Band of Dakota. The Mdewakanton Band of Dakota have lived along the banks of the Minnesota River for hundreds of years.
Project Details
10
Competitive Grant Making Body
Project Details: 2015 Fiscal Year
Legal Citation / Subdivision
Laws of Minnesota for 2013 Chapter 137, Article 4, Section 2, Subdivision 4
2015 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$236
Other Funds Leveraged
$202
Proposed Measurable Outcome(s)
*Participants will learn more about the Lower Sioux Indian Community
*Participants will learn about traditional Dakota gardening techniques
*Participants will learn about heirloom seeds
Measurable Outcome(s)
7 evaluations were returned
Did you enjoy tonight's presentation? 7 Yes 0 No
Did you learn anything new about the Lower Sioux Indian Community? 5 Yes 1 No 1 No Answer
Did you learn any new traditional Dakota gardening techniques? 7 Yes 0 No
Did you learn anything about heirloom seeds? 6 Yes 0 No 1 No Answer
Source of Additional Funds
St James Library, Cheyanne St. John, Area Newspapers and Businesses
Project Manager
First Name
Dayle
Last Name
Zelenka
Organization Name
Traverse des Sioux Library Cooperative
Street Address
1400 Madison Avenue, Suite 622
City
Mankato
State
MN
Zip Code
56002-5488
Phone
507-625-6169
Email
dzelen@tds.lib.mn.us
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