Learning from the Peace Garden Mistakes
On Thursday, February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, and in a show of solidarity, the world planted sunflowers, Ukraine’s national flower as a global symbol of resistance, unity and hope. This idea caught on, but we at the Deviled Eggery, inspired by the writings of one of our Advisors Sallie Latch, rested uneasy with it.
Why not plant Coffee arabica for Yemen, or jasmine for Syria, or roses for the many indigenous tribes decimated by colonizers right here? Why not plant King Protea for Somalia or tulips for Afghanistan or poppies for Palestine? Basically, why were white refugees acknowledged over those of color?
The Deviled Eggery responded to this by planting a “Peace Garden,” which we planted at the first ever gathering of our Advisors, April 2, 2022. We weren’t even hatched yet, still just an idea trying to find roots. Each plant we put in the ground was the national flower of a country at war.
The garden didn’t thrive. It needed water. Cooler temperatures. Different soil. And, it was in conflict with our commitment to acknowledge that we live on stolen land, land that belonged to the Coast Miwok, who had their own plants (and lives) invaded and eradicated by white colonizers.
In short, planting exotic and invasive species just to be symbolic was not in line with our programing and values.
It took a few months for us to recognize where we went wrong in our thinking, but we soon let nature take its course, return the garden to the dry patch it once was, and have since moved into using the space to study and propagate the plants that lived here before Europeans invaded the lands of the Coast Miwok.
Soon, the Deviled Eggery Peace Garden will become a native garden. While we stand in solidarity with all people facing colonization, this way feels much closer to reflecting our values and the original stewards of this land. Honoring wisdom passed down from Coast Miwok families, we hope to do a better job than our original Peace Garden, respecting the land, the original plants native to this area, and nature’s original plan.