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Join Leah Lemm on her journey as she shares moments from the film, “Finding Manoomin: A Search for the Spirit of Wild Rice.”

Listen: ’Finding Manoomin: A Search for the Spirit of Wild Rice’

Leah Lemm, a citizen of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, practices her culture in many ways. She’s been slowly learning Ojibwemowin, the Ojibwe language. She helps share Native stories in her work as an MPR News senior editor who leads our Native News team. She stays active and attends community events. And every couple of years she harvests maple sap for syrup.

But aside from cooking her famous Ojibwe fried rice, Leah didn’t feel connected to the significance of Manoomin — a sacred plant revered for its sustenance and deep connection to Indigenous identity and heritage.

Connecting with my Ojibwe heritage by learning to harvest wild rice

So, she set out with a film crew to connect with her cultural roots through the tradition of wild rice harvesting.

That film, “Finding Manoomin: A Search for the Spirit of Wild Rice” aired on TPT on Nov. 27 and 28, and will be available for on-demand viewing here, as part of Native American Heritage Month.

You can hear Lemm sharing highlights from the film and reflecting on her experience in this audio documentary, which aired on MPR News on Nov. 28.

As a gift, Lemm wrote a song about her about her experience harvesting wild rice.

Manoomin, the good berry (wild rice) is considered a relative and a spirit, and part of the Ojibwe migration prophecy.

Many years ago, an Ojibwe elder had a dream: go west until you find the place where food grows on the water. That guidance brought the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe here to Minnesota.

Heat a large pan on the stove, medium heat. 

This activity is made possible in part by the 

Minnesota Legacy Amendment's Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund

Native News

Leah Lemm, a citizen of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, embarks on a journey to connect with her cultural roots through the tradition of wild rice harvesting. Lemm uncovers the history and spiritual significance of this sacred plant, revered for its sustenance and deep connection to her people’s identity and Indigenous heritage.


MPR News with Angela Davis - Finding Manoomin: A Search for the Spirit of Wild Rice

‘Finding Manoomin: A Search for the Spirit of Wild Rice’

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