Does Michigan need an official native grain? A group of state lawmakers, including Senator Dan Lauwers, a Brockway Township Republican, think so.
Lauwers was one of many cosponsors of the bipartisan bill that was introduced by Senator Adam Hollier, a Democrat from Detroit.
The lawmakers want to designate Michigan wild rice, which is technically called manoomin, as the official native grain of Michigan. Why wild rice? The bill says, “Manoomin is a sacred and important component to many wetlands and has a cultural significance to the indigenous people of this state.”
“Sacred” is a strong word, but the bill explains that the grain is a cultural staple for the Anishinaabeg people, the group of tribes that includes the Ojibwe.
Michigan wild rice, or manoomin, grows in shallow to moderate water depths. It is a persistent natural grass that grows year after year in the Great Lakes Region.
The bill has been reported favorably by the Committee on Agriculture and would need to be approved by both the Senate and the House, and signed by the Governor.
Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland
