Rooted in the Land: Reconnecting Youth Through Culture and Community 

In the Mohawk community of Kanesatake and the surrounding regions of Deux-Montagnes, Oka, and Saint-Eustache, many young people are searching for connection to the land, to learning, and to themselves. For Indigenous, newcomer, and highly vulnerable youth, traditional classrooms often fail to reflect their realities or recognize their strengths. 

Gardens of Hope is helping change that through its ‘Terre-Mère en Racines’ project, a land-based, intercultural learning program that uses Indigenous gardening, cultural workshops, and talking circles to help youth rebuild confidence, identity, and belonging. Supported by the Rideau Hall Foundation’s Catapult Canada initiative, the project creates a safe, inclusive space where learning grows naturally from the earth and from community. 

Learning Through the Land 

Rooted in Mohawk teachings, Terre-Mère en Racines brings together Indigenous, newcomer, and vulnerable youth to learn side by side through gardening, storytelling, and hands-on workshops. Guided by Elders and community mentors, participants reconnect with nature, culture, and one another, gaining practical skills and a renewed sense of identity and belonging.  

Addressing Barriers and Building Belonging 

Many of the youth engaged in Terre-Mère en Racines have faced overlapping barriers – disrupted education, housing instability, discrimination, and intergenerational trauma. For Indigenous youth, disconnection from culture and language remains a major obstacle. For newcomer youth, isolation and economic insecurity compound the challenge of adjusting to a new society. 

By offering experiential, culturally grounded education, Garden of Hope helps bridge these divides. The land becomes both classroom and community – a place where knowledge, respect, and collaboration take root. 

Growing Together with support from the RHF 

Support from the Rideau Hall Foundation’s Catapult Canada initiative allows Gardens of Hope to expand its programming and strengthen its partnerships with Elders, schools, and youth-serving organizations across the region. Catapult’s investment helps build the organization’s capacity while connecting it to a national network of community leaders who are working collectively to reimagine learning in Canada. 

By investing in initiatives like Terre-Mère en Racines, the Rideau Hall Foundation is helping create spaces where every young person can feel seen and supported as they grow toward their full potential.