THE FOOD THAT GROWS ON WATER
By Mashkodebizkikigahbaw, Benji Sam
Of the many traditions across Anishinaabe country, one of the eldest teachings dates back to the tribes beginning to move west until they found the food that grows on water. Wild rice, also known across Indian Country as the ‘good berry,’ was said to have been plentiful in the Lake Superior region and has faced adversity in the last 100 years. What was once a plentiful resource, has now become somewhat of a rarity across the waterways within the boundary of the Treaty of 1837.
From the commercial boom in the 1950’s and 1960’s where settlers began to over-harvest and process wild rice year in and out for commercial profit to the new proposed nickel mining across Northern Minnesota or oil line proposals through some of the most fertile watersheds in the state, the good berry has had to overcome the odds to survive all these years. Through restoration work around the region spearheaded by local tribes, and occasionally with joined forces between state DNR, biologists, and passionate outdoorsmen, wild rice bed health has been at the forefront of Ojibwe culture preservation.
Recently, in the Mille Lacs area, restoration projects have gone into place over the last ten years to re-establish and replenish wild rice beds in Ogechie Lake, Shakopee Lake, and Lake Onamia, which present the right habitat to maintain healthy rice crops annually. With the change in water flow through the mouth of the Rum River and managing access to annual harvest, the rice crop has shown very positive signs of improving health, but remains at the hands of mother nature on how plentiful each year’s crop can be.
Todd Moilanen, MLB DNR cultural resources director, has helped organize a consistent approach to healthy harvesting and maintaining healthy crops for many years.
Moilanen noted that this year’s crop was adversely affected by high water levels and heavy rainfall during spring and early summer that reduced 20-30% of all the rice plants in achieving the floating leaf stage of growth this summer. Manoomin, wild rice, requires a very distinct growth pattern to achieve healthy seed and the high water caused a “ghost crop” he described as when plants mature but fail to produce a developed seed. “These three lakes were the only lakes we know of that produced a harvestable amount of mature rice this year in the 1837 boundary in Minnesota,” said Moilanen. “Many lakes around the northern region are completely without rice crops due to the conditions this year.”
When wild rice does reach maturity, once the seed solidifies and turns a burgundy color, Moilanen says there is an established procedure in the Mille Lacs area for tribal harvest to begin. “The state’s season begins on August 15th each year, but it is illegal to harvest green rice in Minnesota, so prior to any tribal harvest mature manoomin must be brought to the Manoomin Ogimaa (Rice Chief) and DNR Commissioner prior to allowing permits to harvest on these waters” said Moilanen. “Minisinaakwaang community also has a rice chief(s) to help determine when healthy harvest may begin.”
In order to protect the resource year in and out, only tribal members of the 1837 Treaty and local residents of the four surrounding townships may harvest manoomin on Ogechie, Shakopee, and Lake Onamia. Harvest permits are also required to harvest both on and off-reservation manoomin, to help monitor annual harvest rates per body of water. Harvesters are also required by law to maintain certain boat and harvest requirements to practice healthy and ethical wild rice harvest.
This includes harvesting in a boat or canoe no longer than 18 feet in length and cannot exceed 38 inches in width to help protect the integrity of the rice beds. Harvesters may also not use flails, or knockers, longer than 32 inches in length or heavier than one pound per pole and must be operated by hand. Canoe propulsion must also be by hand with a ricing pole with a bill that opens no wider than 12 inches in width at any time to also protect the integrity of the crop. Moilanen also reminds harvesters it is a requirement that all watercrafts must be licensed for both on and off reservation harvest.
For new or inexperienced harvesters looking for more direction on how to harvest, the history of wild rice in the Mille Lacs region, and wish to learn technique and processing practice, keep a watchful eye for the Cultural Resources On-the-Water Manoomin Harvest Workshops each fall. Moilanen says he tailored these workshops over the last five years to fit the needs of local schools, youth programs, many community programs such as Niigaan, 4 Winds, and the SUDS programs, and local harvesters alike. These workshops provide education and experience for up to 150 youth and 30-40 adults per year with the majority being tribal members according to Moilanen. This adds to a long line of strong resources available to MLB members continue growing back towards food independence like those who came before us and with any luck, wild rice will continue to be here long after we are gone.
