Manoomin: The Story of Wild Rice in Michigan

Manoomin brings forward the rich tradition of wild rice in Michigan and its importance to the Anishinaabek who live there. Manoomin: The Story of Wild Rice in Michigan by Barbara J. Barton who was awarded the 2009 MSU Extension Diversity Award for her work on Manoomin with Anishinaabek focuses on the history, culture, biology, economics, and spirituality surrounding this sacred plant. The story travels through time from the days before European colonization and winds its way forward in and out of the logging and industrialization eras. It weaves between the worlds of the Anishinaabek and the colonizers, contrasting different perspectives and divergent relationships with Manoomin. Barton discusses historic wild rice beds that once existed in Michigan, why many are not present today, and the efforts of tribal and non-tribal people with a common goal of restoring and protecting Manoomin across the landscape.