EVENT RECAP – Cowichan Valley Work Party and Potluck at Hulitun Spulhxun/Tumuhw Nursery

On July 4th, 16 farmers and land stewards gathered at Hulitun Spulhxun/Tumuhw (Nurturing Fields) nursery, located at the Quw’utsun/Xwulqw’selu Estuary for a day of sharing food and learning on the land. Spanning 490 hectares, the estuary is home to a diverse community of estuarine plants and animals, which have been stewarded by the Quw’utsun Mustimuhw for generations.

The morning began with an opening circle wherein attendees introduced themselves and Alyssa Zandvliet, the nursery coordinator, provided an overview of the estuary’s history, including its importance to Indigenous food systems in the region and the way it was re-shaped by European settlers to support colonial agriculture over the years. 

The Hulitun Spulhxun/Tumuhw nursery’s role in the estuary’s restoration is two fold: it both provides a source of plant material used in the restoration process and provides a space in which Cowichan Tribes members and settlers can develop relationships with those native plants. In doing so, Hulitun Spulhxun/Tumuhw both nurtures the land and the hands that will steward it for years to come.

In the spirit of nurturing community and land, attendees spent the rest of the morning weeding beds of tender Gary Oak (p’hwulhp) seedlings, nettles (tth’uxtth’ux), and spirea (t’eets’ulhp) while sharing what they know about these plants with one another. The morning’s work blended into early afternoon and the work party ended with a shared meal and a closing circle. In closing, attendees shared their reflections on working on the land that day, many having developed new or deepened existing relationships with the native plants in their region through this experience.

Thanks so much to Alyssa for her work in coordinating the Hulitun Spulhxun/Tumuhw nursery, as well as Cowichan Tribes, Nature Trust of BC, Ducks Unlimited, and the UBC Indigenous Ecology Lab for their involvement in the Quw’utsun/Xwulqw’selu (Cowichan/Koksilah) Estuary Restoration and Food System Revitalization Project.

To learn more about YA’s Take Root program and its commitment to Indigenous food Sovereignty, please visit our website: https://youngagrarians.org/programs/take-root/