We take a bite out of the First Nations Garden, a healing space for the Intertribal Native community of Chicago. Co-founder Fawn Pochel (they/kwe) shares the origins of this youth-led project, the importance of establishing and maintaining relationship with plant relatives, and how the garden has transformed the neighborhood and provided a community gathering place for celebrations, education, and practicing intertribal traditions.

Additional Resources and References from this episode:

• Learn more about First Nations Garden and follow the project at @firstnationsgarden
• Chi Nations Youth Council – a youth organization creating safe space for Native youth through arts, activism, and education. Follow the council @chinationsyouthcouncil
• Indigenous Grounds – an emerging organization striving to create a more sustainable world. Follow the project @indigenous.grounds

Previous Take the Last Bite episodes that center food justice, the joys of growing and cooking food, and innovations in urban farming:

• Queers Who Make Beers – a chat with queer and trans folks in the craft microbrewing industry working to improve working conditions for marginalized service workers
• Ferrets, Farming, and Fat-Kid Food – a segment about growing basil in shipping containers and a segment about cooking with taste-loss due to long-COVID
• ‘Chef’ is Gender Neutral – brunch baddie Catie Randazzo talks about wanting to connect queer and trans youth to service industry skills

For questions, comments or feedback about this episode: lastbite@sgdinstitute.org

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Host: R.B. Brooks, they/them, director of strategy and impact for the Midwest Institute for Sexuality and Gender Diversity

Cover art: Adrienne McCormick