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[link widoczny dla zalogowanych]Dana Jackson
Rice collectors work together in pairs. The "poler" navigates the boat with a long push-pole, which guides the boat through the rice beds; the "ricer" operates the wooden ricing sticks that transfer the rice from the plants to the boat. There are two techniques for ricing: In the traditional style, the ricer is seated facing backward to keep the boat balanced. In the Minnesota style, the ricer is seated facing forward so that he or she can see the rice as it is collected. At the start of the harvest season, as much as 150 pounds of rice can be gathered in a four-hour work day. The harvest season [link widoczny dla zalogowanych], which generally lasts about two to three weeks, can yield enough rice to supply a family for a year.
The rice is winnowed in birch-bark baskets; as the baskets are shaken, the loose hulls and chaff are carried away by the breeze.
Bad River Indian Nation
Once the rice is hauled to the shore, it's spread out on tarps to dry. The rice must then be "finished" before it can be eaten. The laborious "finishing" procedure refines the rice. First, the rice is left to dry in the air. Once dried [link widoczny dla zalogowanych], it's placed in a kettle and scorched over a fire to burn away any excess moisture. The dried rice is then transferred to a large barrel lined with canvas and "danced" on (literally stepped on) to crush the exterior hulls and to separate the chaff from the grain.
SPECIAL THANKS
Education Department
Read on
Wild-Rice Cakes
Nutritious Wild Rice for Healthy Eating
Gathering Wild Rice on the River
Wild rice is a bit of a misnomer. It's not really rice but a long-grain marsh grass. Much of the finest wild rice in the United States is grown in the northwestern region of Wisconsin. Legend states that the Chippewa Indian Tribe was called by the Great Spirit to inhabit a land where there is "food that grows on water." The Chippewa tribe settled near the wild-rice beds in the Great Lakes portion of Wisconsin and proceeded to maintain and harvest the "rice" that grew in the marshes.
Dana Jackson is a member of the Bad River band of the Chippewa tribe. He was raised (and still resides) along the shores of the Kakagon (pronounced ca-CAW-gun) River in Wisconsin. Even today, centuries-old tribal techniques of harvesting by hand are practiced. Canoes are used for harvesting the crop; motorboats are not permitted in the fields. Harvesting is done by parents and children. The children are taught the process at an early age and become proficient by the time they reach adolescence.
Wild rice is a food crop steeped in tradition. Discovering the intricacies of the growing and harvesting processes behind the "food that grows on water" adds to the learning opportunity that preparing it at home presents. This unique food crop can be used in many types of recipes, including soups and Wild-Rice Cakes.
Odanah, WI 54861
Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians
P.O. Box 39