BACK TO SCHOOL BRINGS EXCITEMENT & OPPORTUNITIES

Story and photos by Vivian LaMoore, Inaajimowin Editor

The 2023/24 academic year is off to a great start. Students are settling into their routines of school reading, writing, and arithmetic. But there is so much more to learning than classroom learning alone. Ga be Giizhig, Todd Moilanen, Director of Cultural Resources for the DNR and his team provide opportunities for youth to engage in the process of cultural traditions. September focused on all pieces of the manoomin harvesting process. Moilanen and his team provided lessons in safe harvesting to groups of youth from Nay Ah Shing and Ge-Niigaanazijig, as well as Isle and Onamia public schools. The Inaajimowin caught up with a group from Ge-Niigaanazijig on a warm but windy September afternoon to capture the excitement on Lake Onamia.

Not only is passing on the cultural traditions his job, but it is also Moilanen's passion. He firmly believes that learning and understanding by participating in cultural ways is empowering and instills values that will ensure success in the future of the youth. "Our traditions are a part of our being — of who we are as a people. Our existence depends on passing on our cultural practices to our youth," Moilanen said.

The youth has a lot of fun while learning the tradition of harvesting manoomin and no canoes tipped over in the process.

Read more about Cultural Resources beginning on page 1. See more photos at Inaajimowin.com/galleries.