Page 13 - Alderville First Nation

Wild Rice
Being located at a place called Rice Lake would suggest that
some of our territory is used for ricing—harvesting wild rice. The
Anishinaabemowin word for wild rice is manoomin, and the
Anishinaabeg believe it is a gift from the Creator. Manoomin
is a grass that grows from seed each year. The plant produces
a grain that has been used as food by First Nations people for
thousands of years; there are people in our community who still
harvest and prepare wild rice. Manoomin filters the waters, binds
loose soils, provides protection from high winds and waves WORDS TO KNOW
along shorelines, and provides habitat for species at risk. For all habitat: a place where plants
and animals live
these reasons, Manoomin is a valuable plant to many beings.
manoomin (man-oh-min):
The natural rice bowl on Turtle Island (see page 16) extends wild rice
over an area west of Lake Superior to Southern Manitoba, and
Ontario into the adjacent states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and
Michigan. The wild rice harvest has always been important to
our community. However, in 1918, the Trent-Severn waterway
dam and locks started working at full force, causing water levels
to rise and fall. Unfortunately, the conditions needed for the wild
rice beds to grow were destroyed. We are having some success
restoring rice beds in the area, but in order to harvest, our
people must travel to other areas like those near Perth, Ontario.

The traditional way to harvest
wild rice is to have two
people travel through rice
beds in a canoe. While one
person paddles the canoe,
the other person bends over
the stalks of wild grass and
beats the grains off with two
ricing sticks.

Alderville First Nation 11

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