Where Food Grows Upon the Water: Community Connections and Intercultural Appreciation of Manoomin (Wild Rice)

This project will support Cook County's border communities. The project will build upon the existing partnership between the Grand Portage Tribal Council, Grand Portage National Monument, and North House Folk School, to strengthen relationships and collaboration between the Band, Tribal residents, and broader Cook County by creating opportunities for community members to grow in their understanding of wild rice (manoomin), the crafting of traditional harvesting tools, and manoomin's cultural significance in an effort to deepen the cross-cultural understanding around the importance of water quality and the efforts and advocacy of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa to preserve this treaty reserved resource. This project recognizes the joint advocacy for clean water tribes have led in the treaty ceded territories of what is now called Minnesota (1858); their efforts advance clean water for every Minnesotan.