Grounded Governance: Ecological Education and Co-Learning with PEPAKEṈ HÁUTW̱
(Blossoming Place)
In the shadow of the former Portland Cement Company, just outside the infamous Butchart Gardens tourist destination, a small and mighty not-for-profit provides vital education for those keen to learn. I had the privilege of taking a group of students to SṈIDȻEȽ (Tod Inlet, Gowlland-Tod Provincial Park) to learn about Indigenous ecological governance and restoration with W̱SÁNEĆ-led PEPAKEṈ HÁUTW̱ (Blossoming Place) as part of their core coursework in the graduate MPA (Masters of Public Administration) program at the University of Victoria. The experience provided an opportunity to learn outside of the classroom, from one another, the land and PEPAKEṈ HÁUTW̱ leaders. Our day began with a trail walk, then a circle formation before getting our hands dirty.
Part of our learning included sharing about our intentions with one another. This sharing was critical to setting a good tone for the day. We learned about how to remove invasive species with attention, care and love so that native plants can flourish. After our work session, we ate lunch, worked a little more, then closed the day with some words of reflection in a circle. Our learning about government and governance was anchored in a much deeper way than is possible simply by textbooks or classroom settings. We learned about how to consider the more-than-human world as part of us and our governance systems and ways of relating to each other and environments. Plants have much to teach humans, if only we could be so humble as to acknowledge this, so we can listen and learn.
Our learning didn’t end in just one visit. Back in the classroom, we formed three groups to discuss a strategy for the clean-up of the legacy contamination from the Portland Cement Company. One group represented the Butchart Gardens family and foundation, another the Ministry of Environment, and another PEPAKEṈ HÁUTW̱ leadership. By engaging in experiential learning inside and outside of the classroom, I am hopeful that students will think more expansively about what it means to govern well in today’s society for the generations to follow. As we discussed as a class, good governance requires care and consideration of each other and of local environments. Care is critical to this ethos. Through these kinds of embodied learning practices, students, teachers and community leaders become co-learners sharing educational journeys. This collaborative ethos can be transformative, challenging the rigid ways of relating that are often so hierarchical.
Being a teacher is a privilege, and working with brilliant students and community leaders is such a gift. There is a need for more awareness and recognition of the great work PEPAKEṈ HÁUTW̱ is doing to restore the local ecology. Currently there is little to no understanding of W̱SÁNEĆ knowledges and places when one visits the internationally famous Butchart Gardens. International visitors, including international students will certainly benefit from the teachings offered by PEPAKEṈ HÁUTW̱. In the future, I would like to see more recognition of PEPAKEṈ HÁUTW̱ efforts and leadership by public officials and leaders including the Butchart Garden site and government officials. If places of education like the University of Victoria and communities of practice like Living Labs can continue to cultivate avenues for these kinds of meaningful learning exchanges to flourish, our students will be better off, as would us all.
~ Dr. Sarah Marie Wiebe, Assistant Professor
School of Public Administration, University of Victoria