(Fort Washakie, WY) – Community members were invited to Fort Washakie Schools this morning for the dedication of the Community Memory Grove that is located on the southwest corner of the campus.
This project is a collaboration between Fremont County School District #21 Indian Education Director Lynette St. Clair and nonprofit Wind River Grow Our Own 307 – who donated chokecherry trees, red cedar, and black currents.
In addition to today’s dedication and planting of the first trees in the Community Memorial Grove, Fort Washakie students also planted their own trees earlier this week in the Northfield at the school as part of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) curriculum.
The students not only experienced the process of planting and returning these back to earth, St. Clair shared, but in the near future, they will get to experience being able to go and harvest their own berries when we have ceremonies and gatherings.
Tribal Elder Reba Teran gave the invocation during the dedication this morning and Wayland Bonatsie and his singers opened with the Honor Song.
The first tree was planted by the Board of Education and Superintendent Deb Smith.
