ESCI1909

Manoomin/Psiη (Ojibwe/Dakota for wild rice), an aquatic grass that grows naturally in shallow lakes and streams around the Upper Great Lakes, plays a central role in both the diet and cultural identity of many Indigenous peoples in the region. Due to a high sensitivity to environmental stressors (e.g., perturbed water levels, contaminants, competitive and invasive species, and climate change), Manoomin/Psiη has been declining since Euro-American settlement, threatening Indigenous lifeways. Students will gain an interdisciplinary perspective on how multiple components of the environment, as well as people’s relationships with it, together influence Manoomin/Psiη stands. Understanding what supports Manoomin/Psiη requires a look at local lake to greater watershed-scale conditions; interacting ecological, hydrological, geochemical, and geological processes; and different management approaches driven by diverse values. While Manoomin/Psiη has served as a flashpoint, we will learn how it can also become a rallying point for all communities to be better stewards of the environment.

001475

The Environment

Periodic Spring