Kathleen Smith works with the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission as their Manoomin Ganawandang, or “She Who Takes Care of the Wild Rice.” With deep experience in ecological conservation work, she’s now a regional leader who combines traditional knowledge with modern strategies to protect wild rice. 

In our Q&A, hear from Kathleen about why manoomin is more than food. It’s a species that is deeply entwined with Ojibwe culture and history. Manoomin is a sensitive plant that depends on Nibi, or the clean water that gives us all life. 

She also shared her advice on how non-tribal members can play an active role in protecting and restoring manoomin in Wisconsin.

Tell me about your role at GLIFWC. How did you get into a career in conservation?

I’m in a new role as “She Who Takes Care of the Wild Rice,” our most precious gift. Peter and Lisa David previously worked with the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission as wildlife and Manoomin biologists and retired about three years ago. GLIFWC reorganized and created two roles: wetland ecologist and my position that integrates traditional knowledge and culture to build relationships with rice chiefs and tribal communities to give a voice to manoomin.  

My career path to get here was different. I started out early in federal wildland fire management for the Bureau of Land Management. I worked in California’s Desert District in Southern California located in the Mojave desert. I had a supervisory role – a fire engine boss – and worked on conservation efforts that included fire suppression and dealing with wildfires, but also controlled burns to protect ecological and biodiversity in riparian areas. I did participate in some research using fire to see how fire impacts tortoise habitat, and then transitioned home to Baraga, Michigan, becoming a plant technician and took interest in the plants program doing habitat restoration with native plants, dealt with invasive species, and did wild rice restoration. That led me to GLIFWC. 

Here, I’m dedicated to preserving and enhancing manoomin in the ceded territories with 11 member tribes across Western Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota where I combine traditional knowledge with modern strategies to protect the species. I do education and outreach presentations, facilitate manoomin camps, and support tribal communities through wild rice committees with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. It all comes down to tribes’ determination to safeguard and protect their environmental and cultural heritage. 

What do you think people should know about manoomin?

Manoomin is not just food. It’s a sacred being. We believe this about all nature on Mother Earth, all creatures, all living beings that make up our ecosystem, the flora and fauna. In our creation story, we have four orders: 1.) the elements, 2.) plants, 3.) animals and 4.) humans. The orders of creation play a part of who Anishinaabe people are. Manoomin is in the second order. It’s a part of our migration story and how we came here. For generations, it has provided a vital nutrient source and a staple of our diet. We use it in ceremonies as a main feast food today. We have this perspective that all things have spirit. Manoomin is a living relative. 

Researchers are calling manoomin an indicator species for climate impacts in the upper Midwest. What are you paying the most attention to in protecting manoomin for both tribal rights and climate resilience for fresh water in the upper Midwest?

How I see it, manoomin are other beings that experience how the weather can shift in our seasons. It’s happening today. Climate change has extreme water fluctuations, from extreme rain and flooding, to less snowpack and droughts. This impacts rivers and streams, which shifts the channels of water going into rice water bodies. When there is a slower movement of water, we see things like lily pads and other native plants encroaching on rice. Those who work with manoomin recognize its sensitivity. We have estimated that nearly half of the historic range of manoomin has been lost due to habitat loss, decreased water quality and human activity where it had once thrived for thousands of years. 

Nibi (water) is the giver of life. It connects all things. We are all caregivers, so we need to be mindful of what we are doing to water, including using less fertilizers or herbicides near our waterways. An elder once told me that manoomin reflects our human life cycles. When manoomin has a hard time standing up, it’s like the hard time between adolescence and adulthood. What happens to manoomin can also happen to us.

Manoomin’s survival is tied to climate adaptation and efforts to protect the sacred, culturally significant plant. To do this, we honor both the cultural and the technological balance. Manoomin can bring all people together to understand our plant relatives, and honor both tradition and biodiversity. It’s a warning that if you don’t take care of water and manoomin, other things are coming to wake us up. We need to be good stewards. Nibi is the caregiver of life, the most precious gift of life, and connects to all things. 

What can non-tribal members do to help protect or steward manoomin as manoomin faces challenges from climate change?

Non-tribal members can play a crucial role in protecting manoomin. They can contribute by learning and respecting our indigenous knowledge, but they have knowledge themselves that they can share. It can be a cultural exchange. They can educate themselves about the cultural significance of manoomin to our communities, especially to Ojibwe people, and learn about the spiritual and ecological importance of this native grain. They can advocate for legal protections and support initiatives like the Rights of Manoomin like Minnesota is doing. They can advocate for legal protections in other parts of the state. 

They can collaborate with tribal communities and put this interdisciplinary collaboration with native and non-native researchers and community members. They can collaborate to address issues like learning about seed and genetic contamination, and opt for resources that are local. They can work for water quality and habitat preservation, support sustainable practices, or purchase wild rice from certified tribal sources and avoid the commercialization of wild rice. 

Participate in restoration efforts, or volunteer with local organizations in restoration work. Attend a Manoomin Camp to learn how to harvest sustainably. You can even work with us to go on a landscape to harvest seed to help in the restoration projects. Help in restoration projects that restore wetland habitats that are conducive to manoomin growth.

– Stacy Harbaugh, Communications Director

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