Manoomin/Psi? (Ojibwe/Dakota for wild rice), an aquatic grass that grows naturally in shallow lakes and streams around the Upper Great Lakes, plays a central role in both the diet and cultural identity of many Indigenous peoples in the region. Due to a high sensitivity to environmental stressors (e.g., perturbed water levels, contaminants, competitive and invasive species, and climate change), Manoomin/Psi? has been declining since Euro-American settlement, threatening Indigenous lifeways. Students will gain an interdisciplinary perspective on how multiple components of the environment, as well as people?s relationships with it, together influence Manoomin/Psi? stands. Understanding what supports Manoomin/Psi? requires a look at local lake to greater watershed-scale conditions; interacting ecological, hydrological, geochemical, and geological processes; and different management approaches driven by diverse values. While Manoomin/Psi? has served as a flashpoint, we will learn how it can also become a rallying point for all communities to be better stewards of the environment.
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