Yakani Ekelanna Community Garden and Food Forest, also known as the Land Between Gardens, works on preserving and educating a ‘deep-seeded’ Houma tradition. With the vast amount of health diseases among the tribe such as diabetes, high cholesterol, etc., this gives the community a way of slicing those preventable diseases by healthier food alternatives, physical activities, and cultural revitalization.
Usápuse’ Yákani’ Ékelanna’
Land Between Garden
The garden is so named because it lies in between Bayou Cane and Bayou Blue, but there is a larger scope as well. The land that it lies on, Yakani’ Tcetu’, the big land, is the area of land in between the Atchafalaya River and the Mississippi River that we, the Houma, have resided on for generations.
The full ‘sentence’ name of the garden in Uma’ is:
“Yákanimat buk uske’ buk uktcakku’ ettadúkulu’ ékelannah”
That translates to: The land that is between Bayou Cane and Bayou Blue.
(Many thanks to the Houma Language Project for the spellings, translations, and ongoing language assistance with farm projects, and to artist Kayla Jeans for the wonderful farm seal/logo!)
Coming Soon: Stickball!
Cultivate Community
See below for some 2020 crop pictures from our Houma community members!
Some of these pictures were taken at the Yakani Ekelanna farm, while others are of people’s home gardens and crops. These were showcased as part of our awareness launch campaign!
You can use public transportation to reach the farm!
Via Good Earth Transit, one can take the NSU/Thibodaux route, and get off at the Beacon Light International Baptist Cathedral. We are directly next door, on the right side of the church if you are facing it from West Park Ave, Gray LA.
Please reach out before you drop by, to make sure someone is there to meet you! We are not open every day!
