Photographed by Abigail Brown
24 x 24 inches
Cotton vellum paper cutting
In Collaboration with Titus Seilheimer, Wisconsin Sea Grant
Delicate, multitudinous, and flowing with the water– hundreds of little grains constellate into the world interconnected with them.
Manoomin, also known as wild rice, is a grain native to the Great Lakes area. It is a sacred food to the Ojibwe (also known as Chippewa or Anishinaabe) people according to oral tradition of the Seven Fires Prophecy. The Ojibwe were prophesied to migrate from the east coast until they found the land where “food grows on water”. Interconnected on an equal plane, the land, the roots, the rice, and all the land’s inhabitants connect the Ojibwe to their ancestors and their Creator. Manoomin is a key food source for surrounding wetland species, including various fish and waterfowl. However, manoomin requires very specific growing conditions and recent land development has disrupted its populations. There are efforts across the Great Lakes region to reseed manoomin, which Fisheries Specialist Titus Seilheimer has contributed to in Green Bay and Manitowoc.
The rice is harvested by using a long pole to separate the grains from the stalks and let them fall into the canoe. Processing the rice to eat by hand is a particular multi-step process that is reflected in the meditative and meticulous process of cutting paper. The vellum is delicate, as are the thin, papery husks that are removed from the grains after they are parched. When tossed in the air, the light husks will separate from the rice in the wind.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
May Heili (they/them) is a junior at UW-Milwaukee majoring in Design and Visual Communication with a certificate in Digital Fabrication. They are especially invested in theater, from performing onstage to tech and directing. They hope to apply their skills in graphic design, illustration, and fabrication in a theatrical marketing career.
ABOUT THE WATER PARTNER
Dr. Titus Seilheimer is the Fisheries Specialist with Wisconsin Sea Grant. He works with Great Lakes partners and stakeholders to address fisheries and ecosystem changes and impacts. Dr. Seilheimer communicates the complexity and wonder of the Great Lakes ecosystems to a diverse group of people. He has an interest in identifying and counting fishes, habitat restoration, and dabbling in aquaculture.
MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH SUPPORT FROM
