Mânomin(Cree) Wild Rice

Rekindling Traditions
Cross-Cultural Science and Technology Units (CCSTU)

Grades 8-11

habitat, ecosystems, plants, water quality, sustainable development, structure & design, nutrition

The local wild rice industry is used to promote respect for Aboriginal knowledge and to teach ideas from ecology and biology, so students will become informed about an important northern industry. Students apply their knowledge first hand during site visits to a wild rice stand and to a processing plant. The nutritional value of wild rice is learned when eating dishes students prepare. Duration: 2 weeks of classes, plus 3 field trips (trial planting nearby, visit to wild rice stand and processing plant).

This unit is designed to enrich students' understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal science and technology, and to encourage students to continue their studies in school science in the future. Knowledge (past and present) of growing, harvesting, and processing of wild rice forms a bridge between Aboriginal and Western views of nature. The unit makes a connection between everyday life in a northern Saskatchewan community and ecology and biology content in the school curriculum. At the same time, technological literacy is given special emphasis. The unit should demonstrate to students that they can achieve at Western science without setting aside their Aboriginal values and knowledge.

1. To bring in a local ricer to focus students' attention on wild rice.

2. To systematically present the wild rice industry in a way that makes students feel it is part of their community, and in a way that makes them feel confident about knowing some of its science and technology.

3. To develop an interest in wild rice as a healthy food.

4. To involve Elders and the community people as a valid resource of knowledge.

5. To involve students in the planting of wild rice.

6. To introduce ecology or biology content expected for the class.

7. To get students to interact with their environment and their community.

8. To introduce students to career possibilities related to science and engineering.

9. To analyse water samples.

10. Acquaint students with the industry's need to be inventive with its harvesting technology.
11. To acquaint students with the technology and business end of wild rice production.
12. To develop language skills by making connections between a student’s first and second language by using known events to which the two languages refer.
13. To have fun eating some of the recipes for cooking wild rice.

1. Students will be able to properly sequence the 9 stages in the life cycle of wild rice.

2. Students will remember some of the details related to: a productive habitat, harvesting, processing, and food value.

3. Students will become aware of the fact that the Saskatchewan wild rice industry is "organic farming" and follows the principle of "sustainable development."

4. Students will develop greater respect for Elders or other knowledgeable community members who have handed down information to students.

5. Students will accurately use both common-sense terms and appropriate scientific terms, depending on the context they are in.

6. Student will respect the environment by not causing any damage.

7. Students will estimate how many seeds are in a kilogram of seeds, and calculate how many bags of seed to buy for a particular stand of wild rice.

8. Students will be able to write accurate and fairly detailed stories about what happens to the harvested wild rice grains between leaving the stand, and being sent to the packagers for distribution around the world.

9. Students will be able to repeat the dietary advantages of wild rice.

1. A Wild Rice Harvester

2. An Overview of Mânomin

3. Choosing Where to Plant: Stories from the Past

4. The Habitat: Western Science Stories about Zizania Palustris

5. Where the Mânomin Grows: A Field Trip

6. Follow Up to the Field Trip

7. The Technology of Harvesting

8. Processing Mânomin

9. Nutritional Value of Mânomin

10. Debriefing and Review

Appendix A: Wildrice in Saskatchewan
Appendix B: A Tour of the La Ronge Wild Rice Corporation Processing Plant

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Appendix A Wild Rice in Saskatchewan PDF File (12.8 MB) Download Now

Appendix B A Tour of the La Ronge Wild Rice Corporation Processing Plant START TOUR

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To obtain the file in Microsoft Word 97 format, order the Rekindling Traditions CD from:

Northern Lights School Division
Teacher Resource Department
Bag Service 6500
La Ronge, SK S0J 1L0
(306)425-3302

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