and put down the knocking sticks. Sure enough, the sound of knocking was coming along
toward them where they were sitting in the water, and then a canoe suddenly appeared.
They just sat there watching those two knocking rice.They wanted to see who it was, but when they blinked their eyes, they disappeared from
view. "He said 'Memegewesiwug', " she said, "that's what he said; those Memegwesiwug
have hair on their faces."I wonder what kind of creatures they are.
These hairy-faced Little People live in river bank caves, they say. It's interesting to
compare this recollection of Maude's with the research Pat Paul did on Little People at
his Reserve, Tobique, New Brunswick. After I posted that story, I got quite a bit of
email from Indian people who said "I thought nobody knew about those Little People
except on our rez." They didn't tell me any stories, though. Anyway, it looks like
Minnesota's Little People like wild rice, too! I wonder if the DNR ever arrested any of
them?All stages of rice-processing were painted by Minnesota Red Lake Ojibwe
Patrick DesJarlait. See his and his son Robert's pictures.
Recommended reading (grades 3-6): The Sacred Harvest: Ojibway Wild Rice
Gathering, by Gordon Regguinti, photos Dale Kakkak. $19.95 hardcover, $6.95 paper
(discounted to schools). Lerner, Minneapolis, 1995 catalog; 800/328-4929. Has received
several awards as children's book of distinction. Lerner publishes a series of
native-cent4ered social studies books for Middle School children, and several for young
adults. You can order this discounted on-line from Amazon.com:
The Sacred Harvest : Ojibway Wild Rice Gathering (We Are Still Here : Native
Americans Today); Gordon Regguinti, Dale Kakkak (Photographer); Library
Binding; $19.95
The Sacred Harvest : Ojibway Wild Rice Gathering (We Are Still Here : Native
Americans Today); Gordon Regguinti, Dale Kakkak (Photographer); Paperback;
$5.56
For adults, Thomas Vennum has told the story of wild rice historically -- including how
it is being destroyed genetically, and why Lakeland Indians can no longer make any
money off it (Hint: Think California):
Wild Rice and the Ojibway People; Thomas Jr. Vennum; Paperback; $14.95
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