The Food That Grows on Water: A Conversation on Food Sovereignty and Wild Rice

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Thursday March 28

7:00 PM  –  8:30 PM

The annual emergence of manoomin/mnomen (wild rice) plays profound roles in freshwater ecosystems, Anishinaabe/Neshnabé food systems, and understandings of food sovereignty. Mnomen holds cultural and spiritual significance to the Ojibwe, Ottawa, and Potawatomi of the Great Lakes region. Native nations and their citizens seek to protect the presence of mnomen and continue intergenerational harvesting practices. Where relationships between the Neshnabék and mnomen have been interrupted due to imposed environmental changes, Neshnabé people are working to restore mnomen and its habitat. Join us for a conversation with distinguished experts and community members on the intersection of sustainable foodways, ecological restoration initiatives, traditional ecological knowledge, environmental stewardship, and culinary heritage.  

Panelists:

  • Kara Wilson (Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians)
  • Cusi Ballew (Pokagon Band of Potawatomi/Pokégnek Bodéwadmik)
  • Barb Barton

Moderator: Elan Pochedley (Citizen Potawatomi Nation), 1855 Professor in the Department of Religious Studies

The MSU Museum CoLab Studio is pleased to present a slate of programs and events in conjunction with the Food Fight! exhibition on display in the Main Gallery from January 9th to June 29th, 2024. The exhibition and programming explore the themes of global food security, food production and consumption, and our complex relationships with food.