Indigenous food stories - Heather Morigeau

Heather Morigeau, a two-spirit Indigenous artist and activist, spearheads the FoodScape Cooperative, crafting sustainable urban landscapes and healing gardens rooted in Indigenous traditions.

Their initiatives, such as the healing garden at Alberta Children’s Hospital, nurture community well-being.

Indigenous Food Stories: Heather Morigeau creates sustainable urban landscapes and healing gardens that honour Indigenous traditions and promote community well-being

Heather Morigeau, (they/she) is a two-spirit, Indigenous artist, entrepreneur and activist residing in Treaty 7, the traditional lands of the Blackfoot Confederacy. Their heritage is Cree, Red River MĂ©tis, Ktunaxa Nation, as well as French, Celtic and German settler ancestry.

In 2016, Morigeau founded the FoodScape Cooperative, which creates edible and sustainable urban landscapes using traditional land stewardship practises. They’ve installed healing gardens in locations around the province including a garden at the Alberta Children’s Hospital in 2022 to honour residential school survivors. The Indigenous Healing Garden was created with guidance from Indigenous elders and knowledge-keepers and designed to carry the teachings of the medicine wheel – each direction holds knowledge of seasons and Indigenous teachings, and aligns with the sacred medicines (sage, mint, sweet grass and juniper).

In addition to growing her practise as a visual artist, this year Morigeau is working with the Calgary Climate Hub as the project manager for the Forests for Calgary initiative. Designed like a medicine wheel, a mini forest is planned for the Bowness Community Association to be installed on neighbour day June 15.

Read more Indigenous Food Stories: Chef Ian Gladue, Chef Shane Chartrand and Little Chief’s Bison Program.