Wild Rice Simulation

Gathering the Rice (Knocking)

Wild rice grows best in gently flowing waters with a mucky bottom, typically at a depth of six inches to three feet. Because it ripens at an uneven rate, a single rice bed can be harvested multiple times over a period of weeks, usually starting in late August.

• The Two-Person Team: Harvesting is typically done in pairs. The "poler" stands or sits at one end, slowly gliding the canoe through the dense stalks.

• The Technique: The "knocker" works alternately from both sides of the canoe. One stick is used to lean the tall rice stalks over the gunwale, while the second stick is used to gently brush or tap the seed heads.

• Reseeding: If the rice is perfectly ripe, it falls easily into the hull. Importantly, a portion of the knocked grain always falls naturally into the water, which successfully reseeds the bed for the following year and feeds local wildlife.

 

Processing and Finishing the Rice

Freshly harvested manoomin is referred to as "green" rice. To transition from a green aquatic plant to a preserved, edible staple, it must undergo a rigorous, labor-intensive finishing process.

1. Drying: As soon as the rice is brought to shore, it is spread out in a layer on a tarp, canvas, or birch bark sheet. It is frequently stirred to dry evenly, preventing mildew and allowing harvesters to pick out debris, stalks, and insects.

2. Parching (Roasting): The dried rice is placed into a large iron kettle or washtub over a slow-burning wood fire. It is stirred constantly with a cedar paddle to prevent burning or popping. Parching drives out the remaining moisture, destroys the germ to prevent sprouting, hardens the kernel for long-term storage, and scorches the outer hull to loosen it.

3. Jigging (Threshing): To remove the loosened hulls, the rice is "danced" or treaded upon. Traditionally, a small pit is dug into the ground and lined with hide or wood. The jigger wears new or thoroughly cleaned soft leather moccasins—ensuring grit is not introduced and the fragile kernels are not crushed—and uses a circular scraping motion with their feet. Dancers often use horizontal wooden poles for balance and to control the amount of weight applied to the grain.

4. Winnowing (Fanning): The final step is separating the edible grain from the broken chaff. The threshed rice is placed into shallow birch bark trays (nooshkaachinaaganan). The rice is tossed carefully into the air; the heavier, edible kernels fall safely back into the tray, while the wind catches the lighter chaff and blows it away.

 

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