In the shallow sloughs of the Great Lakes and along the banks of thousands of rivers across eastern Turtle Island, lies the very lifeblood of the Anishinaabe people; manoomin. Meaning the “good berry,” wild rice has forever been central to Anishinaabe society, spirituality and their very existence.

In the Anishinaabe creation story, the people followed a shell in the sky to find a place where food grows on water, leading them to the Great Lakes region. Since settling there, the people have maintained a symbiotic relationship with the wild rice, which has supported their nutrition, society and culture for millennia.  

Manoomin is North America’s only native grain and is part of the oryzeae botanical tribe of plants. Although not directly related to domesticated rice, it grows in similar conditions along shallow lake beds and sloughs. It has several health benefits as it is high in protein and dietary fibre, while also low in fat.

Every year, in the late summer, manoomin grains become ripe and are ready to harvest. A team of two uses a canoe to paddle through the rice beds and use “rice knockers” to lightly tap the strands of rice, threshing the seeds into the bottom of the canoe, collecting them as they move along the water.