UPDATE ON WILD RICE AND MINING IN MINNESOTA -
Protect Our Manoomin Working to Save Wild Rice in Minnesota (click)
Wild rice (Manoomin) is a cereal grain that is harvested and enjoyed throughout the Upper Great Lakes Region by people of varied cultural backgrounds. It has been a central component of the culture of the Anishinaabek people in the region for thousands of years and continues to be of great importance to many tribal communities. Its importance is noted by the fact that the Menominee tribe was named for this plant. Wild rice is also a key element of Great Lakes coastal and interior wetlands that provides food, cover, and spawning habitat for a variety of wildlife species.
Unfortunately, wild rice populations have declined throughout much of the plant’s historic range, due in large part to human impacts. Given the strong cross-cultural importance of this grain, sustaining regional populations of wild rice requires a commitment to multicultural approaches that recognize, respect, and weave together ways of knowing that are influenced by both traditional knowledge and western science.
Scientific Names: Zizania aquatica, Z. aquatica var. aquatica , Z. aquatica var. brevis, Z. palustris, Z. palustris var. interior, Z. palustris var. palustris, Z. texana (found only in Texas).
Family: Poaceae
Habitat: Rivers, streams, lakes and ponds. Wild rice prefers shallow water with mucky or muddy bottom where there is a slight current.
Protected Status (http://plants.usda.gov):
Zizania aquatic - Ohio (T), Pennsylvania (R), Rhode Island (SC)
Zizania aquatica var. aquatica - Michigan (T)
Zizania palustris var. interior - Kentucky (H)
Zizania texana - Texas (E)
E = Endangered, T=threatened, SC = Special Concern, R = Rare, H = Historical
Unfortunately, wild rice populations have declined throughout much of the plant’s historic range, due in large part to human impacts. Given the strong cross-cultural importance of this grain, sustaining regional populations of wild rice requires a commitment to multicultural approaches that recognize, respect, and weave together ways of knowing that are influenced by both traditional knowledge and western science.
Scientific Names: Zizania aquatica, Z. aquatica var. aquatica , Z. aquatica var. brevis, Z. palustris, Z. palustris var. interior, Z. palustris var. palustris, Z. texana (found only in Texas).
Family: Poaceae
Habitat: Rivers, streams, lakes and ponds. Wild rice prefers shallow water with mucky or muddy bottom where there is a slight current.
Protected Status (http://plants.usda.gov):
Zizania aquatic - Ohio (T), Pennsylvania (R), Rhode Island (SC)
Zizania aquatica var. aquatica - Michigan (T)
Zizania palustris var. interior - Kentucky (H)
Zizania texana - Texas (E)
E = Endangered, T=threatened, SC = Special Concern, R = Rare, H = Historical
This web site is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Agreement No. 2008-03528.
