Anishinaabe Word of The Day

Wild rice (manoomin)

Wild rice, also called manoomin, mnomen, Psíŋ, Canada rice, Indian rice, or water oats, is any of four species of grasses that form the genus Zizania, and the grain that can be harvested from them. The grain was historically and is still gathered and eaten in North America and, to a lesser extent, China,[2] where the plant’s stem is used as a vegetable.

Wild rice is not directly related to domesticated rice (Oryza sativa and Oryza glaberrima), although both belong to the same botanical tribe Oryzeae.[3] Wild-rice grains have a chewy outer sheath with a tender inner grain that has a slightly vegetal taste.[4]

The plants grow in shallow water in small lakes and slow-flowing streams; often, only the flowering head of wild rice rises above the water. The grain is eaten by dabbling ducks and other aquatic wildlife.

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Anishinaabe Stories or Other Interesting Facts!

Source: https://uwosh.edu/

Waynaboozhoo was worried about what his people would eat during the long winter months. For several winters there had been very little food and the people had suffered. Waynaboozhoo wanted to put a stop to the suffering, so he went into the woods and fasted for four days in a wigwam. On the fourth day he started on a long walk, and as he walked, he thought about how to keep his people from starving. He continued walking until he came to the edge of a river. By that time, he was very tired, so he lay down to rest and fell asleep. Waynaboozhoo awoke late in the night when the moon was high in the sky. He walked along the edge of the river and saw what looked like dancers in the water.

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Related Words

wild rice

manoomin ni wild rice[

northern wild rice

;

Zizania palustris

]

anishinaabe-manoomin ni wild rice

wild rice plant

manoominagaawanzh ni a wild rice plant

wild rice stalk

manoominashk ni a wild rice stalk

manoominaganzh ni a wild rice stalk

manoominaatig ni a wild rice stalk

wild rice river
manoominitigweyaa vii it (a river) has wild rice growing in it