Efforts to restore manoomin, Michigan’s native wild rice, are expanding in the eastern Upper Peninsula through new collaborations between the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and tribal nations, including the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.

The DNR’s Wildlife Division recently finalized a seeding agreement with the Bay Mills Indian Community and is working toward a similar agreement with the Sault Tribe, according to a DNR announcement. These partnerships aim to reintroduce manoomin to rivers, creeks and wetlands across the region.

Manoomin, which translates to “the good berry” in Ojibwe, was designated Michigan’s official native grain in 2023. It grows in shallow, quiet waters and provides habitat for wildlife while supporting cultural practices among Anishinaabe com

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