The Prophecy of Wild Rice

More than a thousand years ago, the Anishinaabe, a group of First Nations that includes the Ojibwe, received a prophecy to travel west from the Atlantic coast to save their people and find their chosen land: at the end of their journey, they would find "the food that grows out of the water" to nourish their families for generations to come. As the Ojibwe migrated west, they found wild rice growing in many of the rivers and lakes in Minnesota and in the Great Lakes region. They eventually settled the land and began harvesting wild rice, which they call manoomin. Manoomin is commonly translated as "good berry" or "harvesting berry," and the Ojibwe consider it a sacred gift from their Creator.

For centuries, tribes such as the Ojibwe have been harvesting this aquatic plant for food and gifts and as offerings in religious ceremonies. Their annual hand harvest on Minnesota lakes and rivers is a joyous event that preserves ancient traditions and strengthens their sense of community. It provides food security for the tribes as well as supplementary income. More than just a crop, it is part of the core identity of the Ojibwe people and is symbolic of their deep connection to the land.

Wild rice is very nutritious – low in calories and fat, higher in protein than other rices and a good source of vitamins and minerals. Although it is a distant cousin of Asian rice, it is technically a type of aquatic grass with a chewy outer shell and a soft inner grain. Because of this, wild rice requires additional processing in order to make it edible. The raw green grass seed is first dried and then parched by quickly turning the seeds over a heat source. This process allows wild rice to be safely stored for long periods of time, which made it an essential source of nutrition during the long, cold Minnesota winters and why it is believed to be a strong proponent of the success of the fur trade in this region for early colonizers.

While hand harvesting of wild rice in our lakes and rivers has been occurring for centuries, cultivation in paddies began relatively recently in the 1950s. James and Gerald Godward were the first to officially cultivate wild rice on a one-acre meadow near Brainerd, Minnesota. The University of Minnesota began domesticating wild rice in the 1960s and developed a hybrid version that withstood mechanical harvesting methods. As wild rice cultivation and sales grew, Minnesota became the largest producer of wild rice in the world until the 1970s; it still remains a major export to this day.

The naturally growing wild rice in our lakes and rivers also provides homes to a diverse ecosystem of birds, mammals, amphibians and fish. It provides feeding and nesting areas for at least 17 different species that are listed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources as species that are of the greatest conservation need. Wild rice also improves the quality of the ecosystem it lives in by siphoning nutrients from the water to enrich the soil, reducing algae, forming windbreaks and helping to prevent soil erosion. Given all the nutritional, economic, cultural and ecological benefits of wild rice, it is easy to understand how it became Minnesota’s official state grain back in 1977.