Mnomen (wild rice)
“You will find the path to the chosen ground, a land in the west where food grows on water.”
Migrating from the east and led by our sacred Megis shell, our ancestors established a new home in the Great Lakes. Here they found the prophesized food on water, mnomen (the good seed) or wild rice. A sacred and essential food, mnomen was and is still eaten throughout the year. Highly nutritious, it was traditionally the first solid food given to a baby and one of the last foods served to elders as they walked on. Wild rice can also be used medicinally for the treatment of burns, heart and stomach ailments, and spiritually in ceremonies.
We thank Creator for providing us with the good seed, and to our relatives in the Great Lakes for preserving and sustaining our mnomen customs.
Citations
Citizen Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center
