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EGLE takes part in wild rice camp
August 22, 2025
Phil Roos, director of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), and staffers from the department attended a Wild Rice (manoomin) Camp co-hosted by the Wildlife Division of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) with staff and teachers from and the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC), and additional tribal community’s members serving as featured Instructors.
“We are grateful to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the Michigan Wild Rice Initiative, and our Tribal partners for inviting EGLE to Wild Rice Camp,” said EGLE Director Phil Roos.
“The experience deepened our understanding of the cultural and ecological importance of wild rice to Tribal Nations. We value this partnership and remain committed to protecting these vital resources together.”
The camp provided participants with a hands-on active learning process from tribal leaders and experts.
At the two-day event, they:
- Focused on building relationships with tribal partners and communities.
- Learned about the cultural significance of manoomin to the Anishinaabe peoples.
- Improved awareness about the biology, life cycle, and status of manoomin.
- Shared experiences and information about restoration efforts, monitoring, and GLIFWC guidance documents.
- Practiced hands-on culturally appropriate manoomin processing steps (for example, parching, dancing, winnowing, and storage).
The event included a field trip to wild rice beds on nearby river systems.
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