THE LIVING MEMORY LAB

AT MICHIGAN TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

About the Project

If you've received plants or seeds from us, please take our survey!

The Living Memory Lab at Michigan Technological University explores the intersection of food and memory. When we think of memorials, our first thought turns to statues, monuments, gravestones, or other inert objects. One type of memorial few may think of is the naming of fruits, vegetables, and grains in commemoration of individuals. More than seeds named after a developer or a tree planted in honor of someone, the Living Memory Lab explores food-based plants named for someone unassociated with the plant itself. Explore the links below to learn more or participate in the ongoing research. 

The Living Memory Lab operates uninvited within Ojibwa homelands and ceded-territory established by the Treaty of 1842: Gakiiwe’onaning (Keweenaw Bay), Gete-gitgaaning (Lac Vieux Desert), Mashkii-ziibing (Bad River), Odaawaa-zaaga’iganing (Lac Courte Oreilles), Waaswaaganing (Lac Du Flambeau), Miskwaabikong (Red Cliff), Wezaawaagami-ziibiing (St. Croix), and Zaka’aaganing (Sokaogon Mole Lake).