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For wild rice, or manoomin, water literally is life. The grass species grows in shallow bodies of water. It is food for people and animals alike. But when the water is polluted wild rice becomes the “canary in the coal mine.” Since the 1970s, Minnesota has had water quality standards to protect wild rice. Now, the state’s Pollution Control Agency is in the process of changing the standards. Some tribes are concerned the rice is in danger, and that is a symptom of much larger problems. We’ll examine the issue and talk with experts about the future of wild rice.
Guests:
Tom Hows (Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa) Natural Resource Program Manager for the Fond Du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
Nancy Schuldt – water projects coordinator for Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
Break music: Migwitch Mahnomen (song) Chippewa Pow-Wow Drum Group In Ball Club, Leech Lake Reservation (artist) Songs of the Chippewa, Vol. 1 – Minnesota Chippewa Game and Social Dance Songs (album)
Full interview with Shannon Lotthammer – director of the environmental analysis and outcomes division at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
