(Fort Washakie, WY) – On Friday, May 14th, a Community Culture Event has been planned for the dedication of Fort Washakie School’s Traditional Chokecherry Grove.
The event begins at 10 am and concludes with a drive-thru lunch from 11:30 am to 12:45 pm in front of the school. Additional details about the event are on the flyer below.
Lynette St. Clair, Fremont County School District #21 Indian Education Director, shared the trees were provided by local nonprofit Wind River Grow Our Own 307 – founded by Darrah Perez-Good Voice Elk and Deneica Barrett.
Wind River Grow Our Own recently planted hundreds of chokecherry trees in Ethete as part of a BioRegion Development Project. This is a continuation of the project.
“The science department has been talking about developing an area where we can plant medicinal and traditional herbs,” St. Clair explained. “Darrah reached out and offered us trees. We are so happy and grateful to her and her organization to help us develop and build our garden.”
The Fort Washakie School Northfield Traditional Chokecherry Grove will be dedicated to the student body, a Community Memory Grove is in the southwest corner of the school campus, she shared.
Community members are welcome to come out and plant a tree in memory of a loved one in the community grove.
They hope to provide this service and build partnerships with the community for years to come, St. Clair noted. This is also part of the traditional knowledge base they are trying to instill in students and the larger community.
