Gitigaan/Gtegan/Kitigaan Kits
Aanii Boozhoo!
Miigwech for requesting your Gitigaan/Gtegan/Kitigaan (Garden) Kit! In this kit, you will find your requested kit seeds, plant starts, and some gardening and recipe information. We hope that you enjoy gardening with your family, friends, and community this season!
We recommend following the planting guidelines that are suggested on your seed kit information flyer. If you are unfamiliar with starting a garden, check out this helpful article, or visit the Gardening in Michigan MSU Extension site. There are also lots of video tutorials on YouTube. If you are interested in learning which plant hardiness zone you are gardening in, view a U.S. Department of Agriculture map here.
For an incredible, collaborative collection of recipes, cooking videos and other materials for healthy cooking the Anishinaabek way, please visit the Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan's cooking resource website here.
MSU Extension is also committed to making its programs more inclusive and representative of Michigan’s Indigenous communities. Recently, MSU Extension educators worked with tribal health staff to adapt and implement Share Our Strength Cooking Matters® programs, including a collection of delicious, healthy recipes.
All of the seeds and plant starts are non-GMO and/or organic, handpicked for our growing region. The plant starts have been lovingly grown by the Ziibimijwang Farm in collaboration with the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Gordon’s Produce, a local farm in Sault Ste. Marie, and AquaTerra, an aquaponics greenhouse planted by high school students at Hannahville Indian School.
Good luck on your gardening endeavor, happy gardening!
Miigwech,
FRTEP @ MSU Extension
In 2023, 1,070 seed and/or plant start (gitigaan/gtegan/kitigaan) kits were distributed to:
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Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians (Kitigaan)
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Hannahville Indian Community (Gtegan)
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Bay Mills Indian Community (Gitigaan)
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Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians (Gitigaan)
Home Lawn and Garden Soil Test Mailer
Lawn and garden plants require 18 nutrients for healthy growth and productivity. By having your soil tested, you can learn which nutrients are present and which ones may need to be added.
Learning to Garden
MSU Extension Resources: Gardening in Michigan
How and what to prepare
- Garden Planning Calendar
- How to Plan Your Garden (Size, Sun, Layout, Spacing, Crops, Supplies)
- Johnny's Seed Calculator and Planning Worksheets
Soil 101
Planting basics
- When to plant? Frost-free date by MI location
- Planting decisions: Seeds, starters/transplants, cool vs. warm season plants, planting techniques and tips
Tips and tricks to make gardening accessible
Caring and tending to your garden
- Watering
- Troubleshooting disease and pest control
- Harvesting
End of Season
Anishinaabe Culture and Language Gardening Resources
Design a Relationship Garden
Giizhenindan Inawemaagan-gitigaan
A guide developed by Ojibwe.net that connects the responsibilities we have as humans with our plant relatives within a garden.
Watering the Garden
Ikidowinan
Ojibwe gardening vocabulary list from Niigaanibines (Don Jones) and Ogimaawigwanebiik (Nancy Jones)
Miijim (Food) Cards
Students from several schools in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, joined together to research and create Miijim (Food) Cards as a classroom project. Each card features a hand-drawn miijim item available at the Brimley Bay Mills Farmer's Market, paired with the names of each food item in Anishinaabemowin. This project came about after the students visited their local market, which left them wondering if there was a way to incorporate their culture and language more fully into this important hub for the community.
This project was created in partnership with the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, MSU Extension, and the Tribal Food Sovereignty Collaborative, with translation services generously provided by Aamookwe (Amy McCoy).
Anishinaabemowin@home
Plants and gardening Ojibwe language activity and resources blog by Anishinaabemowin@home.
Summer Medicine Harvest
Niibin Mashkiki Bway'ige
First Nations Development Institute Knowledge Center
Center for publications on Indigenous food system reports, Native agriculture, traditional subsistence activities, Indigenous food sovereignty sources, guides, assessments, and more.
Food Preservation Resources
Interested in learning more about safely preserving your harvest? Visit Michigan State University Extension's Food Preservation web resources:
Recipes
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Bison Chili with Vegetables
Published on June 22, 2023
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Maple Syrup Apple Crisp
Published on June 22, 2023
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Three Sisters Soup
Published on December 4, 2020