An Urban Cree Finding Place at xʷc̓ic̓əsəm

Abstract

This article explores my personal journey as an urban Cree and social work student at the University of British Columbia (UBC). From this positionality, I reflect on what it means to Indigenize social work by privileging personal and professional identity, including ceremony and spirituality, as integral to the ways we interact with others, particularly between Indigenous Peoples. I offer my own journey connecting to my identity as an urban Cree person through working with Indigenous plant medicines. In particular, I will highlight my experiences at xwc̓ic̓əsəm—a garden on the stolen and ancestral territories of the xwməθkwəy̓əm [Musqueam] people. Also known as the Indigenous Health Research and Education Garden at the UBC Farm, xwc̓ic̓əsəm means “the place where we grow” in hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓. xwc̓ic̓əsəm embodies a space where Indigenous Peoples can connect with both human and plant relatives to share stories, engage with traditional medicines, and heal in a space by us and for us.