Alberta students fundraise for Indigenous healing garden and monument

Truth and reconciliation are two of the many goals of the Riverside Healing Garden and monument that Alberta students are fundraising for.

Cardston High School students are hoping the garden will provide a safe space for people to learn about the tragedies that Blackfoot people historically suffered in the area.

Former Cardston teacher Kara Baldwin said the inspiration for the garden came from the classroom when her students were learning about the Baker/Marias Massacre.

“We were looking at an article about a massacre that most of us had not even heard about, and it got into the discussion about residential schools and how many people truly know about what happened,” Baldwin said.

During the massacre, 200 Indigenous people died; the majority of lives lost were women, children and elderly men, according to history.com.

After learning this information, the design team was instantly inspired to begin planning the garden and monument. The team said it spent months consulting with Blackfoot elders about the monument’s design.

Team member Avery Many Bears said when designing the monument, it was important to capture the personal feelings of everyone on the team.

When both the elders and the team came up with the final concept for the monument, it was time to start fundraising.

The team said it has raised $21,000 but is aiming for $91,000.

Baldwin said reaching the goal will not be possible without the help of the Town of Cardston.

Originally, the team was hoping the monument would be built by May, during Cardston High School’s culture week. The team now hopes the garden will be built by September.