Lower coast gazette., 1914-02-07
Canadian Black Rice.

Along Tile SHORES OF hlce Lake, Wnlcn
separates the counties of Peterborough
and Northumberland, Ontario, the ar
rival of the black rice harvesting time
is the signal for the Indians to move
out among the rice beds Of the Hia-
watha reserve. The Alderville and
Hiawatha Indians usually muster for
ces about the middle of September and
repair to the mouth of the Keene Rly-
er.
Peterborough County which has been
the scene of rice harvesting operations
for a number of years, is practically
the headquarters of the band during the
harvest season, and it is in close prox-
unity to several of the largest beds on
the adjacent waters. The sole right to
gather the rice is vested in the tribes,
whose Indian parentage is unquestion-
ed, and the primitive custom is one of
the few that have withstood the chan
ges Of the times. A visit to the scene
of action on a soft September day is
worth while and is the means by which
che can see the Indian as he existed in
the more primeval age. The twentieth
century has robbed the old-time custom
Of much Of it's charm; this is especially
noticeable in the present day garb of
the red men, but the old-time pictur-
esqueness is still much in evidence at
the annual gathering Of the rice crop.
Simplicity and primitiveness charac-
terize the preparation Of the rice for
market. Although the greater portion
of the crop is retained for home con-
sumption, that which is exchanged for
barter, or in some cases money, at
Keene, HARDWOOD, and other points,
represents the surplus. There are five
operations in connection with the har-
yesting Of the rice, which are briefly
subdivided as follows; gathering, dry
ing, parching, thrashing. sitting.
In gathering, sheets r laid in the
bottom of a canoe and a start made
for the rice beds. A man sits in the
bow Of the boat and paddles, while his
helpmate takes up a position in the
stern and with the aid of two stout
sticks bends the stalks over the canoe
and thrashes the rice into the bottom
of the boat. This continues until the
boat is nearly full, when the rice is
taken to shore and spread out to dry.
After a few hours in the hot sun the
grain is ready FOR the ~parching. This
is usually done by the women, who
place it in a large iron pot and heat it
over a slow fire, stirring it continually
until it is parched.
1t is then ready for the t%hrashing.
This is done by one of the men putting
it in an iron pot or large wooden bowl
followed out Of a log, and with moe
casins on his feet and trousers tied
tightly around his ankles he jumps on
it until the grain is separated from the
chaff. The last operation is that of
sitting. The rice is poured into birch
bark baskets. in small quantities, and
squatting down in front of the tents on
the shore. under the trees OF any place
where there is a good breeze, the ,wom-
en- gently shake until the chat is sep
arated from the grain and is blown
away by the wind. Crude as it may
seem, it is exceedingly effective, and
the workers are scrupulously clean
throughout the whole process.
Black rice is much more expensive
than white. It is considered a delicacy
on many tables, and the people who
know it's value are always anxious to
secure a quantity every autumn.