This is the first book of its kind to bring forward the rich tradition
of wild rice in Michigan and its importance to the Anishinaabek people
who live there. Manoomin: The Story of Wild Rice in Michigan focuses
on the history, culture, biology, economics, and spirituality
surrounding this sacred plant. The story travels through time from the
days before European colonization and winds its way forward in and out
of the logging and industrialization eras. It weaves between the worlds
of the Anishinaabek and the colonizers, contrasting their different
perspectives and divergent relationships with Manoomin. Barton discusses
historic wild rice beds that once existed in Michigan, why many
disappeared, and the efforts of tribal and nontribal people with a
common goal of restoring and protecting Manoomin across the landscape.