American Indian Culture and the NC Botanical Garden

ENVIRONMENT; COMMUNITY NEWS

By Maria de Bruyn
Correspondent

Since 1990, the U.S.A. has celebrated November as Native American Heritage Month, also known as National American Indian Heritage Month. UNC at Chapel Hill has contributed to such celebrations. For example, in 2023, Niigaan Sinclair gave a keynote speech on “Indigenizing the University: A Call to Action” and the NC Botanical Garden (NCBG) offered two lunchbox talks on “Indigenous Foodways: Reclaiming Native Cuisine and Culture” and “Salish Ethnobotany for Community Wellbeing.”

This year, the NCBG offered a special symposium on “Native People, Native Plants.”  In addition, they have featured a display created by Waccamaw Siouan tribal youth who participated in a special STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) camp. Their challenge was to create a village of wigwams, with the structures being judged according to their sustainability, authentic use of only natural materials and realism. The display can still be seen up to December 22, when the NCBG will close for a holiday break until 2025.

Part of the Waccamaw Siouan STEM Studio exhibition. Photo by ©Maria de Bruyn.

The competition was sponsored by the Waccamaw Siouan STEM Studio, an entity founded by members of the Bladen and Columbus counties tribe. Only 0.02% of all American Indians have STEM degrees, and members of this NC tribe want to stimulate their young people to consider career paths in this area.

The Studio now has some 20 STEM volunteers who design projects that have reached up to 45% of tribal youth. The group has provided some $2,000 in scholarships and initiated the Star Preservation Project, which is using technology to carry out tribal history research, record oral histories and revitalize their 300-year-old language. In 2022, the Studio won the Environmental Educators of North Carolina Exceptional Environmental Educators Award. They also now have a children’s book available, entitled Bringing Back the Fire, about a young girl who collaborates with her tribe to tackle serious environmental problems impacting their community.

Part of the Waccamaw Siouan STEM Studio exhibition. Photo by ©Maria de Bruyn.

The NCBG is participating in the American Indian Cultural Garden, an ongoing collaborative project. A four-year preparatory process has resulted in a garden located on Wilson St., near the Carolina Inn. This garden will wrap around the existing Carolina Community Garden, which grows fresh produce for university employees.

The Native American advisors who contributed knowledge and insights for the design included Waccamaw Siouan elder Darlene Graham, who created a garden of native, sacred and healing plants in Columbus County. American Indian students contributed to the final design, which will incorporate culturally significant vegetation, seating and spaces for meditation, prayer, cultural ceremonies and meetings. The official opening celebration of the American Indian Cultural Garden is foreseen for spring 2025.

As of 2022, North Carolina had the highest Native American population east of the Mississippi River and ranked 7^th among all US states, with some 116,742 American Indian residents. Anyone interested in learning more about American Indian culture and concerns can find books recommended by UNC Press on a special reading list: https://uncpressblog.com/2024/11/14/native-american-heritage-month-reading-list-2024/. The Chapel Hill Public Library has more than 250 volumes related to Native Americans for its patrons.

Maria de Bruyn, a cultural anthropologist, now participates in nature-oriented citizen science projects and posts on Instagram and a blog. This reporter can be reached at Info@TheLocalReporter.press