Are you curious about the practice of harvesting & processing Wild Rice? Manoominikewin - Ojibwemowin for harvesting wild rice - holds both cultural significance and ecological importance. Join the Lake Superior Reserve, the UWS Indigenous Cultures Resource Center, and the 1854 Treaty Authority on September 13th at the Pokegama Bay Boat Launch from 3:00pm-4:00pm to learn about traditional wild rice harvesting and processing! You will be able to visit traditional processing stations including parching, hulling, and winnowing, and learn about harvesting (and possibly watch a harvesting demo from shore). We’ll gather in light-rain or shine, and will post a notification day-of for a severe weather cancellation. Rice Processing stations will be available at 3:00pm at the Pokegama Bay Boat Launch (restrooms are available). Parking at the launch will be limited, so please be prepared to park along the gravel road (Billings Drive). This program is funded by the Rural Partnerships Initiative at UW-Madison. This event is part of the River Walks program series, where we learn about local land and water issues while taking a stroll to different places in the St. Louis River watershed. No registration is required and all events are FREE. Come dressed for the weather and prepared to move around outdoors. Please reach out to Melissa Burke at melissa.burke@wisc.edu or call 715-399-4138 if you have questions about participating in this event. You may request an interpreter, materials in an alternative language or format, or other services to make this event more accessible, by contacting Melissa as soon as possible, ideally by September 2, 2025. There’s no added cost to you for these services. The University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming in compliance with state and federal law.
