Reclaiming cultural food practices at Curve Lake – Peterborough Currents
September 26, 2024
Mnoominkewin celebration invites the broader community to learn about wild rice
Curve Lake First Nation elder Janet McCue sat at the stern of a pontoon boat as it trolled through the calm waters of Chemong Lake Saturday, September 14. She drummed and raised her voice in a song of thanks to the creator for mnoomin, which means good seed or spirit seed in Anishinaabemowin.
Behind her in the distance, Curve Lake First Nation members slowly glided through wild rice paddies in canoes to gather the mnoomin. In each canoe, a poler sat at the front and used their paddle to navigate through the tall fields of wild rice. Seated behind the polers, the wild rice gatherers each held two long sticks. They used one to bend the long stalks of mnoomin over the side of the canoe, and the other to knock the seeds into the boat.
