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MANOOMIN

THE GOOD SEED,
THE GIFT OF THE CREATOR

Archaeological and Anishinaabe cultural evidence proves our relationship with Manoomin (wild rice).

The Manoomin garden is a means of travel and a source of diverse food.

This diversity includes my father's clan, Black Duck.

Wild rice has been around for a very long time.

We are part of the garden.

We are all part of the garden and it's time we get back into the garden.

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Black Duck Wild Rice: About

OUR STORY

For the last 39 years Black Duck Wild Rice has been rehabilitating, protecting, and promoting wild rice.

Inspired by Harold Perry, whose grandmother carried seeds from Rice Lake to the Mississippi River near Ardock, James Whetung returned home from Ardock's 1982 food security uprising to his community of

Curve Lake First Nation determined to restore our wild rice beds with the

ultimate goal of putting the rice back in Rice Lake.

Anishinabek food sovereignty and food security had been eroded by colonial genocidal practices

and the health and wealth of the community was suffering.

James met with community elders to learn where their traditional rice beds had been

and received their direction to replant their traditional gathering grounds.

Pigeon Lake had been his grandfather's traditional gathering, hunting, and fishing grounds, 

and he dedicated himself to restoring the then-destroyed ecosystem.

James and his clan (Black Duck) continue to work to restore their hereditary territory

and to put the rice back in Rice Lake!

Black Duck Wild Rice: Text
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EXPERIENTIAL WORKSHOPS

People of all backgrounds - Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, newcomers to Canada, those descended from settlers - join together at our Manoomin camp each Summer and Fall to learn together. 

Participants hear about the history of Manoomin then participate in the gathering, roasting, dancing, and winnowing of the wild rice.

A limited number of workshops are available in 2021. Please contact us at blackduckwildrice@gmail.com for more information.

Black Duck Wild Rice: Services
Black Duck Wild Rice: Gallery

COMMUNITY-SCALE PROCESSING

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In addition to traditional gathering and processing of Manoomin, Black Duck Wild Rice also gathers wild rice using an airboat and processes the wild rice into food using home-made machines.
Communities and individuals may contract our services for any or all of the stages of processing wild rice into food (gathering, curing, roasting, dancing, winnowing, packaging).

Black Duck Wild Rice: Services

PROPAGATION & REHABILITATION SERVICES

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Black Duck Wild Rice provides consultation services to communities and individuals interested in rehabilitating wild rice. This can include in-person site visits to evaluate suitable locations to seed, estimate the amount of seed required, and instruct community members in planting techniques.
Viable green seed is only available in September and October. Interested persons are encouraged to place orders for green seed in August.

Black Duck Wild Rice: Services

The following are our three most recent posts.

Please click here for a link to all of our blog posts.

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Black Duck Wild Rice: Blog2 Custom Feed

CONTACT

162 Murrayville Rd
Curve Lake First Nation
K0L1R0
blackduckwildrice@gmail.com

Black Duck Wild Rice: Opening Hours
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