Curve Lake First Nation elder Janet McCue sat at the stern of a pontoon boat as it trolled through the calm waters of Chemong Lake Saturday, September 14. She drummed and raised her voice in a song of thanks to the creator for mnoomin, which means good seed or spirit seed in Anishinaabemowin.
Behind her in the distance, Curve Lake First Nation members slowly glided through wild rice paddies in canoes to gather the mnoomin. In each canoe, a poler sat at the front and used their paddle to navigate through the tall fields of wild rice. Seated behind the polers, the wild rice gatherers each held two long sticks. They used one to bend the long stalks of mnoomin over the side of the canoe, and the other to knock the seeds into the boat.
“Traditionally, grannies take their hand drums to the edge of the water and sing for the mnoomin and the people, so that’s what I’m doing today,” McCue said.
She looked on as Curve Lake residents Aydan Taylor and Rockina Bird set out to gather mnoomin for the first time. The childhood friends carefully maneuvered through the rice paddies, and Bird knocked as many of the grains into the canoe as she could. “It was very relaxing, and I really enjoyed doing something for the community,” Bird said. “I absolutely want to do it again next year.”
Bird added that although this is her first time gathering mnoomin, she and her friends have been part of efforts to revive the tradition of cultivating this ancient food staple in Chemong Lake, having seeded the waters with 50 pounds of mnoomin grains two years ago to help bring about a new crop.
“Our tradition is to always put back what we take,” McCue said. She explained that although Indigenous people have cultivated mnoomin in Chemong Lake for thousands of years, the practice nearly died out following flooding in the early 1900s due to the construction of the Trent-Severn Waterway.
“We’re just starting to regrow it in this area,” she said. “It’s really good for the Native people. We’ve only had processed food for two or three generations and now 85 percent of Curve Lake people have diabetes. This is a natural, whole food source for us, and not only us but animals like the fish, the winged, and the four-legged. It’s good for the whole ecosystem.”
This was the first time Curve Lake First Nation had invited press and area cottagers to witness mnoomin gathering up close, touring the lake in a pontoon boat. “We’re trying to show a different perspective,” McCue said. None of the invited cottagers had arrived by the time the pontoon boat departed from the Curve Lake Pow Wow grounds. She later confirmed no cottagers made it out to watch the gathering that day.
“I would hope that cottage residents on the lake can respect the rice beds,” said Curve Lake pastor Rodney Smith-Merkley, as he watched the gatherers from the pontoon boat with McCue. “They see it as a weed, as a nuisance, but it is a good food source for people and animals. It’s a challenge in a lot of ways, but it’s a really beautiful practice to gather and process the mnoomin.”
There has long been tension between cottage owners and those committed to rehabilitating the wild rice fields in the area.
For years, Curve Lake First Nation’s James Whetung has scattered seeds there, and in the waters of the connecting Buckhorn and Pigeon Lakes. He also runs Black Duck Wild Rice, a business which sells mnoomin commercially and hosts educational workshops to teach youth about wild rice traditions.
“James has a whole set up at his house to process mnoomin, so when we’ve gathered it we take it there to roast it, winnow it, and bag it so that it’s ready to eat,” McCue said. “We often have a community meal and processing the mnoomin is like a big party.” Once processed, the wild rice is used in salads, casseroles, desserts, and more.
This weekend, the people of Curve Lake First Nation are opening up that celebration to the wider community with the fifth annual Mnoominkewin, an event at Curve Lake First Nation Pow Wow grounds on Saturday, September 28.
The all-day celebration will start with a sunrise ceremony and include traditional performances, art demonstrations, language lessons, and mnoomin processing workshops. Canoes will be available for visitors to gather and seed wild rice as well.
“A big part of celebration is sharing food together, so we want everyone to enjoy eating with us that day,” said McCue. “All of the meals will be free and will feature mnoomin of course.” Local Indigenous chefs will serve traditional foods for breakfast, lunch, and supper, including Atlantic moose and salmon dishes.
Festivities will continue into the evening with musical performances and a film screening presented by ReFrame Film Festival.
“We’re so excited to host people here. There are people coming from First Nations territories all over to take part and to learn about our mnoomin traditions,” McCue said.
To learn more about Mnoominkewin, visit www.mnoominkewin.com/
