The Cook County news-herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Cook County, Minn.) 1909-current, 1917-11-28
MAH-NO- alN-E-lA.vvlN
(Rice III akiuq]

they must make provision a1Or I0e
man. whom He had made. ,,
In accordance to His wishes the
fowls of the air, the fishes Of the
water, the beasts of the forest and
the buffalo of the prairies were to
be TO rman. As time went on the
Great Spirit saw that all that He
had provided for man was good and
because the man had made such good
use of what he provided, He again
called council for the purpose Of
adding more food to man. He want
ed to provide food that would keep
the body in good physical condition
and to also be used as medicine. So
He gave to man, Mah-no- min, or wild
rice.
In northern Minnesota, September
is called the rice month, or moon.
The Indians gather around lakes
where there is rice growing, camp
and gather rice as long as there is
any to be obtained.
Gathering wild rice is no child's
play, for it takes whole year to
get ready. They first get birch and
Eastwood barks for the wigwams,
canoes and tanning dishes, in May.
During the summer, fall and winter,
the Indians gather and make rush
mats that are used for comfort at
this rice gathering time; the canoes
are also made during the summer.
Men, women and children look for
ward with great joy to the going to
the rice camps, as it is one time
when they can all go and have a
grand outing. Usually notice is gil
ven to rice pickers week or ten
days before it is ready for picking.
then time is set for starting, when
from ten to thirty families some
times go together, making very in
teresting scene.
Upon the arrival at the rice field,
the camps are pitched, loads of wood
hauled and chopped into proper size
to be used for paddles, push poles
and rice sticks; also parching stands,
tamping pits and mauls are made.
When everything is ready, one day of
rest is usually given and then the
start for the rice fields is made all
together. There are two occupants
to each boat; one pushes through the
rice field and the other knocks the
rice grain into the boat with two
sticks about three feet long and a.
bout one inch through in the center
and pointed on the opposite end
from the hand. This is done by
reaching out for the rice with one
hand and drawing it to the canoe
and failing it with the other hand,
so as to knock the rice seeds into
the boat. 1t takes about five hours
to get canoe full and it is then
take nto camp and to the parching
pits where there is a hot fire over
which a big kettle is placed. When
the rice is taken from the canoes, it
is carried in birch bark baskets sew
ed with Eastwood bark.
While the rice is being parched, it
is kept in motion all the while with
a paddle made for that purpose, to
keep it from burning. When it is
brown, it is ready to be taken out
into another birch bark pan to cool
off. After all has been Drowned, it
is placed in a "Bo-tah-gim," tamping
pit, when several gather around
with tamping mauls and keeping
them going in perpendicular mo.
ton; the rice is thus threshed to its
first cleaning. It is then taken out
and placed in wide birch bark par
and by motion, made only by Indian
women, the rice and the dust are
separated. 1t is not quite finished
at this stage. 1t is next placed ir
another pit and there is done what
is called Kicking the rice" In this
pit a barefoot Indian starts. a mo-
tion which appears from the hips tt
the knees like the 1913 tango or the
bear, and the feet move similar tt
the buck and wing dance. Wher
this is. done, the rice is certainly
finished with the exception of lit
tie tanning and is then ready fol
food.
The primitive Indian holds the rice
as sacred food. When the first ga
thered rice is cooked, he usual,
gives feast, which consists of first :
blessing of the rice by the Grand Me
dieine priest: the rice making ser
MON and then the feast: rice mapl,
sugar, ducks and fried bread. Afte1
that the Indian is free to go and ga
Their all the rice he is capable o.
picking and he is privileged to cal
it three times a day if he wants to
For parties and naming of babies i
is tina rchiof 1,7x,,rv