Project Lakewell Inc.

08/17/2026

The Anishinaabe were told in prophecy to travel west until they found the food that grows on water. They stopped where they found it, and they are still there.

Manoomin is wild rice, and it is not farmed the way corn is farmed. It stands on its own in shallow lakes and slow rivers across Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. It is harvested from a canoe by two people, one poling, one bending the stalks over the side with cedar knocking sticks and tapping the grain loose. A good share of it falls into the water instead of the boat, which reseeds the bed for next year. The method is the conservation.

It is the first solid food many babies are given and often the last food offered to an elder. In the treaties of 1837, 1842 and 1854 the Ojibwe ceded enormous territory and reserved, in writing, the right to hunt, fish and gather across it. Those clauses are still argued in courtrooms today.

In 2018 the White Earth Nation went further and passed a law recognizing the rights of manoomin itself, so the rice can be named as a party in a case. A plant with legal standing, defending the water it needs.

08/16/2026

Fascinating information about this extraordinary plant!

08/14/2026

08/14/2026

MSU researchers found evidence that lake sturgeon may routinely live well beyond 200 years, with some approaching 300 years — far longer than scientists previously believed.

The findings could improve how fisheries managers conserve one of North America’s oldest freshwater fish and may prompt scientists to revisit age estimates for other long-lived species.

08/14/2026

08/10/2026

Métis History Tidbit.

**** This Is MY Artistic Rendering. ****

Métis Dog Sleds.

Métis dog sleds—primarily toboggans and carioles—were vital winter transportation across the 18th- to 20th-century fur trade, mail delivery, and community travel.

While highly utilitarian, the sleds and dogs were elaborately decorated with intricate floral beadwork, red wool pom-poms, ribbons, and bells, symbolizing Métis identity.

Sled dogs and dog teams served as the backbone of winter travel and commerce across the Prairies, the Red River Settlement, and the Northwest.

The Workhorses of the Winter.

From the late 1700s onward, the Métis—the primary residents and operators in the Red River region—used dog teams for trapping, fishing, and hauling.

Teams traveled in convoys of up to 25 sleds, with each team strictly following the tracks of the one in front of it. A single dog team could haul massive cargo loads weighing up to 400 lbs.

Dogs were vital to the Hudson’s Bay Company and the North West Company for transporting trade goods and mail. In fact, in the 1870s, mail from England arrived at York Factory by boat and was transported by Métis dog sleds all the way to Fort Garry.

Types of Sleds and Transport.

The Métis relied on two primary types of sleds:

Toboggans:

Flat-bottomed, long wooden planks curled up at the front, which were ideal for gliding over deep, unbroken winter snow.

Carioles:

A specialized, enclosed sled crafted from thin boards, usually curved only at the front and featuring low sides or even an enclosed leather-and-wood cowl.

These were designed for carrying passengers, who sat wrapped in heavy furs to glide across the prairie in relative comfort.