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The American Indian Indigenous Studies Program (AIISP) provides student support services, cultural programming, activities, events, an academic minor, and support for research, internships, external educational opportunities to indigenous Cornell students that lend themselves to student success. AIISP provides support and advisement to the Native American Indigenous student organizations, provides support to Akwe:kon, the Native-themed residence house for cultural programming, activities, and faculty engagement.
The purpose of the Akwe:kon Garden project is to provide Indigenous students an opportunity to develop, nurture, and maintain a medicinal plants garden that will be dedicated to the Healing and Honoring of Indigenous Students, past and present. The project will include an agricultural medicinal plants educational and Gayogoh:no language component. The project will work with the Learning by Leading student team and faculty members affiliated with the Botanic Gardens, members of the Gayogoh:no Learning Project, as well as the leader of Sustainable Futures, a local non profit for expertise on sustainable gardening practices, Native culture, and Indigenous plants, Native knowledge and agri-practices.
The Akwekon Healing and Honoring Garden utilizes the Full Circle approach to life, community, indigenous values, and indigenous people's relationship to the environment. This project seeks to serve as a space for honoring Indigenous student's lives, those who attended Cornell, and for those currently in need of healing.
The Indigenous students at Cornell will work and nurture the medicinal plants and have an opportunity to learn about agricultural practices, medicinal plants, and expand their knowledge and practice of indigenous values. A QR code at the site of the garden will educate non-Native Cornell students and the public about medicinal plants, Indigenous values and the Full Circle approach. YOUR GIFT will give Native students an opportunity to realize the garden project, and help educate other students and the public about medicinal plants, their uses, and traditional Indigenous values.