Graduation Date
Spring 2026
Document Type
Project
Program
Master of Arts degree with a major in Social Science, Environment and Community
Committee Chair Name
Cutcha Risling Baldy
Committee Chair Affiliation
Cal Poly Humboldt Faculty or Staff
Second Committee Member Name
Gabi Kirk
Second Committee Member Affiliation
Cal Poly Humboldt Faculty or Staff
Third Committee Member Name
Susanne Sarley
Third Committee Member Affiliation
Community Member or Outside Professional
Fourth Committee Member Name
Aerin Monroe
Fourth Committee Member Affiliation
Community Member or Outside Professional
Keywords
Indigenous food sovereignty, School gardens, Land-based learning, Decolonizing education, Relational learning, Farm to school, Indigenous education, Food justice, Environmental education, Experiential learning, Traditional ecological knowledge, Community-based education, Youth food education, Cultural revitalization, Student well-being
Subject Categories
Environment and Community
Abstract
This project asked: How can a school garden at Hoopa Valley Elementary support Indigenous food education, student well-being, and relational learning? To explore this question, I designed and implemented a garden classroom and facilitated hands-on garden and culinary workshops with students.
The garden was planned in September, built in October, and had plants in the ground by November. Over the course of the project, I facilitated four workshops, one Earth Day community event, and weekly garden classes. Approximately 350 students participated in the garden in some capacity, reflecting broad, school-wide engagement.
Methods included participant observation, documentation of student engagement, and reflection on the participatory process.
Findings show that the garden fostered participatory, place-based learning that supported student agency, curiosity, and collaboration. Through activities such as tasting Indian lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata), making rosehip jelly, preparing bok choy in a ramen workshop, and creating a garden wisdom deck, students engaged with food, land, and creativity in meaningful ways. Indian lettuce and rosehips are traditional foods in this region, and working with them supported connections to Indigenous relationships with land and plants. In contrast, the ramen workshop introduced cross-cultural food experiences that expanded students’ understanding of different food traditions. The garden wisdom deck invited students to reflect on their experiences in the garden and in Hoopa, drawing out lessons about care, observation, and relationships with the land.
This project demonstrates that school gardens can function as living classrooms that support Indigenous food education and contribute to place-based practices of Indigenous food sovereignty grounded in relationships to land, food, and community. By engaging students with land, food, and culture, the garden strengthened community connections and supported student well-being, highlighting the value of participatory, place-based education.
Citation Style
APA 7th edition
Recommended Citation
Patino Madriaga, Tatiana Marina, "Nourishing roots: Supporting Indigenous food education in school gardens" (2026). Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 2559.
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/etd/2559