TRADITIONAL-URBAN FARMING:
Maya Garden at UBC Farm

The garden was established in 2000 as part of the Indigenous Initiative program at the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at the University of British Columbia Farm.

The garden was established in 2000 as part of the Indigenous Initiative Program at the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at the University of British Columbia Farm with the help of M.A. student and Professor Marvin Cohodas.


The garden is 1883 square meters, and located on the unceded ancestral territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam). It is managed by a group of Mayan families who fled Guatemala in the 1980’s due to the military genocide operation that targeted Indigenous communities.

At that time thousands of Mayan families fled to Mexico. A small number were admitted as refugees in B.C. and other provinces in Canada.

The Garden work is supported by long time garden volunteers. Some of the produce is sold at the farm’s market on Saturdays.

 

Members

Lix Lopez
(Maya-Mam Elder)

I was born in the highlands of Guatemala and studied at the Catholic University in Guatemala City, the University of Louvain in Belgium, and obtained a master’s degree in educational administration at UBC.

I also worked for the World Council of Indigenous Peoples and continue to work with Indigenous peoples and organizations in BC. I believe that it is important for Indigenous and other people to maintain a spiritual relationship with Mother Earth.

Fabiana
(Maya-Mam Elder)

I am Maya-Mam from Western Highlands of Guatemala. I have been living in Vancouver BC for 26 years. I grew up in the country farm learning from my mother and father how to grow crops-it was part of my childhood. When I came to Canada I missed working in the corn fields and the connection to the land I had back home.

Francisca y Maximo
(Maya-Mam Elders)

We grew up in the country fields in Guatemala. Cultivating crops was part of our way of living. Francisca is a weaver and learned when she was 8 years old. It is important to us that the Maya-Mam culture is not forgotten. We are passing down this  knowledge to our grandchildren to continue the growth of our ancestral roots.

Caroline
Canada

Luis
Mexico

An organic agriculture enthusiast who rediscovered his cultural heritage through food. After dropping out of school to pursue culinary arts, he migrated to Vancouver to work in the visual effects industry. Missing his culture, he immersed himself in Mexican cuisine and developed an interest in agriculture. He spends winters in Mexico and time with Maya Elders in Vancouver. Luis contributes to the Working Group on Indigenous Food Sovereignty and started his own business crafting foods with love and respect for his culture.

Volunteers

Daela
US