On a cold Tuesday morning, with Valleycliffe鈥檚 snowline peeking through the clouds, students from Valleycliffe Elementary and the St鈥檃7mes School Indigenous Leadership Group gathered in their outdoor classroom.
Hands dirty and spirits high, they planted sp谩虛nanexw (blue camas) bulbs鈥攁 small but powerful act of care for the land.
The ceremony began with 17-year-old Kaltee Baker, from the village of St鈥檃7mes, singing a traditional Skwxw煤7mesh song. Her voice echoed through Classroom 8, where students sat in a circle in Linda Peterson鈥檚 room before heading outside to plant.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a gift,鈥� said Peterson, who took on the project of planting 81 blue camas bulbs in an open field at the school.
鈥淲hich school on the planet has something like this? A space to learn from, tend to, and build a relationship with nature?鈥�
For Peterson, who鈥檚 been teaching since 1998, this outdoor classroom isn鈥檛 just a teaching tool鈥攊t鈥檚 a 鈥渓ifeline for students to connect with the natural world.鈥� And in a time when forests are rapidly giving way to urban developments, that connection feels more important than ever.
Why blue camas?
Blue camas, or camassia, holds deep cultural and ecological significance.
According to a published in 2021, blue camas (camassia quamash), called sp谩虛nanexw in the Skwxw煤7mesh language, is a plant native to the Pacific Northwest. It is culturally significant to Indigenous communities, including the Skwxw煤7mesh (Squamish) people, who have traditionally relied on its bulbs as a key food source.
鈥淚t bloomed last year, and the kids were thrilled,鈥� Peterson said. 鈥淚 thought, 鈥榃hy not create a little field of it, like it used to be?鈥欌��
The idea took root after Peterson read a children鈥檚 book, , which she found at the Gather Books downtown. 鈥淚t talks about how settlers disrupted Indigenous ways of life and nearly wiped-out plants like camas,鈥� she said.
For Peterson, the initiative is more than just planting bulbs. It鈥檚 about honouring Indigenous knowledge and fostering a sense of reciprocity. 鈥淲e talk about being in a relationship with the land,鈥� Peterson said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 personal. What does it mean to care for a blue camas or a northern rice root?鈥�
Hands-on, heart-first
Peterson and her students from Grade 1 weren鈥檛 afraid to get their hands dirty on 19 Nov.
Over the years, they鈥檝e made stinging nettle pesto, harvested spruce buds, and even crafted salves. 鈥淲e鈥檙e gifting the salve we made last year to our guests today,鈥� Peterson said with a smile.
Each project ties back to the First Peoples Principles of Learning. 鈥淚f we use these resources, we do it respectfully,鈥� she said.
A community effort
The blue camas project wasn鈥檛 a solo mission.
Nine leadership students from , cultural worker Maureen Baker, and others had joined in. 鈥淚t鈥檚 all about coming together,鈥� Peterson said.
Matthew Van Oostdam, a teacher at the St'a7mes School explained the purpose of the day. 鈥淎s leadership youth, we were there to pass on the teachings we鈥檝e received as Skwxw煤7mesh youth. These teachings guide us on how to carry ourselves when working with plants, traditional foods, and medicines.鈥�
The group shared their skw谩lwen (spiritual and emotional self) with their peers.
鈥淭he youth shared about their skw谩lwen and how when doing this work planting spananexw bulbs that they need to make sure they are feeling good in their mind, body and spirit.鈥�
Looking ahead, Peterson dreams of planting every species mentioned in Leigh Joseph鈥檚 book,
鈥淲e already have a few, but imagine if we could grow them all,鈥� she said.
A simple message
Peterson鈥檚 message is clear, "Appreciate the natural world. Take care of it. It鈥檚 that simple.鈥�
In a world that often overlooks the quiet importance of plants, Peterson hopes these lessons will stick with her students. 鈥淭his space is a gift,鈥� she said with watery eyes. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 our job to care for it, with humility and gratitude.鈥�
Bhagyashree Chatterjee is The 小蓝视频鈥檚 Indigenous affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the .
