California Indian song, bustling tours and quiet, personal moments were all part of the dedication on Nov. 14 of a new outdoor reflective space honoring the Patwin who once lived on the land that would become UC Davis.

The Native American Contemplative Garden is part of a larger UC Davis project — believed to be the first at any public university in the nation — to honor the land’s original inhabitants and to educate the campus and its visitors about them.

‘A work of spirit’

Ines Hernandez-Avila, a professor of Native American studies and person of Nez Perce and Chicana heritage who collaborated on the garden, calls it “a work of spirit.” Under the guidance of Patwin Elder Bill Wright, she said, work on the garden is fostering healing after campus construction projects disturbed native remains.

“The land that UC Davis sits on is ancestrally Patwin land,” said Hernandez-Avila. “This contemplative garden is a reminder that the connection still exists for the Patwin people who themselves are a living presence in California.”

The garden sits on the bank of the historic Putah Creek channel and within the UC Davis Arboretum, a living museum with 100 acres of gardens and plant collections known internationally as scientific and horticultural resources.

The garden features naturally shaped basalt columns representing the Patwin people and their strength and resilience; trees and other plants used by the Patwin people; a curving path representing the flow of the creek and the flow of time; and a spiral seating area designed after the coiled start of a Patwin basket.

A committee including representatives from UC Davis, its staff and students, and the Patwin community worked together to develop the plan to honor the Patwin heritage. The project also serves to mark the Patwin’s spiritual connection to the land and their ancestors.