Our Garden

Our Garden, Mawaw Cesinyah (Menominee for “Gathering Place”) was built for people to connect and build relationships with the land and original plants who take care of this land and its inhabitants. The garden can be broken down into four parts, at the museum’s entrance is our original medicine garden; the recent expansion adds a woodland shade, full sun prairie, and an edible landscaping garden.

The garden serves as a living classroom and gathering space where visitors learn from Indigenous relationships with land, water, food, and medicine. In addition to caring for more than 1,500 native plants, including medicinal plants, pollinator species, and food crops, we also share seeds and medicines, including heirloom varieties, with Tribal partners, community members, conservation organizations, and program participants. This work supports Native communities in preserving food traditions, cultural knowledge, and land relationships disrupted by forced removal, displacement, and assimilation policies. Learn more here.