This project provides technical assistance and support for the protection and restoration of wild rice that is culturally significant to tribes in the Lake Superior basin. NOAA worked with BIA and tribal communities to exchange cultural and traditional knowledge with current scientific data collection and analysis to best determine where to focus restoration efforts and to monitor the current distribution within coastal wetlands.
This project template was developed with the flexibility to meet identified needs of partner tribal communities as determined in a series of workshops. Resulting in a project template including funding for six site-specific manoomin restoration projects awarded through BIA and three sub-projects awards through NOAA covering geospatial needs, ecosystem services, and outreach materials.
The geospatial work utilized existing remote sensing data to identify current rice beds and potentially suitable manoomin habitats in Lake Superior’s coastal wetlands to prioritize for future restoration efforts. Secondly, NOAA contracted with Abt Associates to develop a valuation study of the environmental services of manoomin to illustrate both the value and importance of manoomin as a cultural and ecological resource and economic commodity. Lastly, partner tribal communities worked with Sea Grant to develop an educational toolkit for outreach to the public demonstrating the importance of manoomin ecologically and culturally.
GLRI Funding
FY2019: $440,000
FY2017: $390,000
Contact:
Chiara.Zuccarino-crowe@noaa.gov>
Other partners:
1854 Treaty Authority, Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Bay Mills Indian Community, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve, Michigan State Offices, Minnesota State Offices, Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa, St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin, U.S. DOI Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, and Wisconsin State Offices.