The First Nations Garden

The First Nations Garden invites you to learn more about the diverse cultures of First Peoples in Quebec. It highlights their relationships to the land, traditional ways of life, knowledge and know-how, and explores both time-honoured traditions and living, contemporary practices.

The Garden is located in Tiohtià’ké, a Kanien’kéha (Mohawk) name that can be translated both as “where the currents divide” and “where the currents meet.” Tiohtià’ké has long been an important gathering place for First Peoples on Turtle Island (North America).

It is located in the heart of the Jardin botanique, south of the Arboretum, west of the Japanese Garden, north of the Chinese Garden and east of the Flowery Brook and the Alpine Garden.

Indigenous Peoples share their perspective of nature

Evoking a natural environment, this Garden was the first facility of its scale in the Montréal area dedicated to Indigenous Peoples in Quebec. Covering 2.5 hectares, it is the result of three years of work and brings to life Brother Marie-Victorin’s unfinished dream.

The First Nations Garden features more than 300 different plant species, including hundreds of newly planted trees and thousands of shrubs, perennials, and grasses.

Ecologists long before the term existed, Indigenous Peoples developed deep, wide-ranging knowledge rooted in their environment and territory. These remarkable relationships support the protection of biodiversity in all its forms.

Showcasing Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge and know-how

The First Nations Garden is a contemporary garden inspired by First Nations and Inuit cultures in Quebec. It highlights not only their botanical knowledge, but also traditional activities connected to the plant world, such as:

• Gathering plants;
• Making objects;
• Construction of dwellings;
• Growing plants, namely corn, squash and beans.

We would like to thank Rio Tinto for its generous contribution.