MILWAUKEE — A garden in Milwaukee honors the traditions of Wisconsin’s Native American population.
This year, the Native Wellness Garden is celebrating its 10th anniversary of keeping tradition and culture alive. It’s located at 3780 S 6th Street on Milwaukee’s South Side.
The garden is an extension of the Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center, which provides comprehensive and culturally sensitive health care for Native American children and adults living in the Milwaukee area.
Lisa Albrecht works as a health promotion and disease prevention leader at the center. She also volunteers in the garden and has seen it grow since day one. She said it’s been such a blessing for the community they serve.
“It makes you feel like you are part of something, and that you are part of a group working towards a really great goal,” Albrecht said. “We are very fortunate to be able to grow this food and provide for our community.”
Community members and volunteers meet weekly to tend to the land. They grow plants that Native Americans used centuries ago to heal and nourish. It’s all cultivated naturally, without any fertilizers or pesticides.
Diana Osberg manages the garden and is a dietician at the Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center. She said she’s proud to have helped distribute more than 800 pounds of organic produce through the garden.
“Within the past few years, we have been able to produce a lot of food for our community and our elders,” Osberg said. “To be able to provide this space and area for people to connect back to nature, as well as feel a sense of community, is really important to me.”
The group has had help from organizations like the American Cancer Society and Kohls. It recently received a Healthy Eating and Activity Living grant from both organizations.