In mid September, the grounds of the North Lakeland Discovery Center were filled with campers pitching tents, lighting fires and setting tables to begin their three-day, wild rice-focused weekend.
Manoomin season means the return of Manoomin camp to the North Lakeland Discovery center.
In the Ojibwe language, Manoomin means "good berry" or wild rice.
The camp is an intertribal effort to continue the tradition of Manoomin harvesting. Participants learn traditional techniques and build community surrounding the relationship between humans and Manoomin.
Sagen Quale , or Manoominike Ikwe, is a tribal citizen of Red Cliff and an organizer for the camp. She began her journey with Manoomin by looking to those already doing the work.
“It started as [me] just being a little rice worm, just a little guy trying to learn and and listen to the people who've been doing this work.” said Quale.
She said in order to do this kind of work, it takes dedication to the community and focusing on building relationships.
“It looked like showing up and being there in community and making those points of contact and I think not necessarily proving myself, but like showing my dedication, like this isn't just a one summer like job for me since I have started building my relationship with Manoomin and working with Manoomin," said Quale. "It really hasn't stopped, and it's something year round.”
The camp began with a welcome and water ceremony, followed by a potluck before beginning demonstrations, workshops, and harvesting. The events were spread across the course of three days.
Esiban Parent was helping campers work on push poles, used to propel canoes through the water. They were being carved mainly from tamarack, but spruce and balsam wood were also used. Forks are attached to avoid cutting into the roots while pushing through the wild rice sloughs.
Parent is a traditional ecological knowledge outreach specialist for The Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wild Life Commission.
“So many Indigenous peoples, that's our way of life, is having a relationship with each other and with the land, and understanding these complex dynamics," said Parent. "So in a way, it's scientific knowledge, but our kind of science.”
He grew up harvesting wild rice with his family, and now helps pass the knowledge forward.
“It takes a lot of tools, a lot of different knowledge, and a lot of different people to process and harvest rice start to finish,” said Parent
Manoomin camps bring people together and introduces a decolonial way into building a relationship with the plant relative led by Indigenous communities.
“This is a way really for anyone to get that kind of relationship to get a good foundation, so they're harvesting in a good way and processing in a good way, and to learn and get those tools that they need to participate,” said Parent.
The camp hosted people with varying relationships with Manoomin, and all eager to learn more about the process.
Lana Fox made a birch bark winnowing tray.
“I have significant experience, not in any of the processing, just in the eating.” said Fox
She said learning how to process food is important to her.
“Knowing how to take care of food that I love, like wild rice, is important, and knowing all the how to process is just complex," said Fox.
While the camp was filled with learning, cooperation and collaboration to do the heavy lifting of processing this years harvest, Quale specified that Manoomin is year round work and still faces challenges that put the plant and Indigenous communities at risk.
“Manoomin is not this natural resource. It is a living spirit. It's a being, and it's actually a gift," said Quale. "It's giving herself to us, and we are needing to honor that, and there's a lot of threats going on at federal and state levels right now.”
Quale pointed to line 5 as a current threat to key habitats and water in the area.
Manoomin has had a record of decline in the great lakes region heavily caused by climate change, pollution, changing water levels, and runoff.
“We have state representatives that want to be involved and engaged, but they have this power opportunity to stop environmental violence, ecocide happening in communities that are known for their abundant manoomin.” said Quale.
Manoomin Camps like this one help preserve ecological knowledge that is key in preserving the health and continuation of Manoomin throughout the region.
Maria Peralta-Arellano is a reporter covering water quality and the environment for WXPR and a Report for America corps member. Report for America recruits, places and supports talented journalists in local newsrooms across the United States. Make a tax-deductible donation to support her work and Report for America will match it dollar for dollar. Donate here.
