Wild Rice Legal Strategy

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Frank was developing a legal strategy. He thought, instead of playing by the rules of the big national and state agencies, what if you use tribal ideas and tribal court to enforce a relatively new realm of law called rights of nature? Rights of nature is pretty much what it sounds like. The funny part is, you know an indian country, i'm lik binhod do imis.

The Ojibwe name for wild rice is Manoomin, which translates to “the good berry.” The scientific name is Zizania palustris. It’s the only grain indigenous to North America, and while it might be called rice, it’s actually not closely related to brown or white rice at all. It has long played an important role in Ojibwe cultures, but last year, Manoomin took on a new role: plaintiff in a court case. Last August, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources was sued by wild rice. The case of Manoomin v Minnesota Department of Natural Resources alleges that the Minnesota DNR infringed on the wild rice’s right to live and thrive. But can wild rice sue a state agency? The short answer is: yes. This is the story about what might happen if rice wins.

The Rights of Rice and Future of Nature

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