This is the first book of its kind to bring forward the rich tradition of wild rice in Michigan and its importance to the Anishinaabek people who live there. Manoomin: The Story of Wild Rice in Michigan 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 their different perspectives and divergent relationships with Manoomin. Barton discusses historic wild rice beds that once existed in Michigan, why many disappeared, and the efforts of tribal and nontribal people with a common goal of restoring and protecting Manoomin across the landscape.
ContentsLists of maps, figures, and tablesForeword, by Peter F. DavidPrefaceAcknowledgmentsChapter One. ManoominChapter Two. The Industrialization of Western Lake ErieChapter Three. Logging in the Saginaw River BasinChapter Four. Draining the SwamplandsChapter Five. The Dam at GetegitigaaningChapter Six. Restoring ManoominChapter Seven. Present Day Restoration ProjectsChapter Eight. Harvesting and Processing ManoominChapter Nine. Manoomin, the Good BerryAfterwordAppendix One. Historic Locations of ManoominAppendix Two. Manoomin Restoration Efforts as Reported in Historic Newspapers from Michigan, 1877–1939Appendix Three. Manoomin Plantings at Seney National Wildlife Refuge, 1938–1984BibliographyIndex
