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The Tamarack region of Minnesota’s Aitkin and Carlton Counties, known as the “wild rice basket,” is one of the most abundant wild rice areas in the world. Wild rice, or manoomin to the Ojibwe/Chippewa peoples, is more than just a plant. It nourishes ecosystems, supports local economies and carries deep cultural and spiritual meaning, particularly for Indigenous communities.
But this vital resource is vulnerable. WaterLegacy, a Duluth-based nonprofit dedicated to protecting Minnesota’s waters, says environmental changes and proposed development are of great concern to communities that depend on the area’s wild rice waters. In response, the organization partnered with the University of Minnesota Extension Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships (RSDP). Connecting the regional leaders with University resources, RSDP supported WaterLegacy in developing a one-of-a-kind tribute to a landscape as vital as it is irreplaceable.
The result is a new digital resource called Wild Rice (Manoomin) in the Tamarack Region: Value, Abundance, and Need for Protection. Like a typical research report, the resource shares scientific findings and environmental data. But it also harnesses interactive tools and personal stories from those who have lived experiences with manoomin.
“The local community is really worried about the development of mining,” shares Paula Maccabee, executive director of WaterLegacy. “Yet, in our work, we learned that very few people outside of the region are aware of the area’s significance in terms of natural wild rice.”
“My first memory of wild rice is going down to the boat landing and seeing the grandmas and grandpas come off the lake…and wondering, ‘What are they doing?’ I remember holding it [wild rice] in my hands…and bringing it up to my face and smelling it, just knowing it came out fresh from the lake.” — Tania Aubid
Reflections from the water
Tania Aubid’s recollection of wild rice is just one of many in the digital resource. Tribal leaders, local farmers and even a family physician are among those who lend their voices to the project. Their stories create a cross-cultural narrative that goes beyond the data to illustrate the region’s human value. According to Maccabee, the idea to incorporate community storytelling came after attending a 2023 University of Minnesota wild rice symposium, where presenters shared their personal and cultural connections to manoomin.
“At that conference, not only did I see the value of storytelling, but I was also introduced to Annette Drewes. And she’s a non-Native person who’s really spent much of her career learning and speaking about wild rice.”
Supported by both the Central and Northeast regions of RSDP, Drewes joined the project as a co-author with WaterLegacy staff. Together, they shaped the report’s narrative elements, bridging traditional and scientific knowledge. Later, RSDP AmeriCorps member Sarah Clauss worked with WaterLegacy’s staff to create a story map and a social media campaign to share the knowledge.
A digital journey
In addition to storytelling, the project incorporates cutting-edge spatial mapping tools to add further dimension to the story.
“If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a map must be worth a million,” said Stacey Stark, associate director of U-Spatial at the University of Minnesota.
Stark, an expert in spatial data and mapping, was introduced to the project by RSDP. She partnered with the project team to offer guidance and support on an ArcGIS Online map, a digital mapping platform that allows users to explore geographic data interactively, revealing relationships between place, history and environmental risk. Leading the effort was RSDP AmeriCorps member Larissa Scott. Collaborating with Stark and the WaterLegacy team, Scott ensured the map was accurate, accessible and meaningful within the report.
“One thing that I like to emphasize is that maps can be a natural way to tell stories,” says Stark. “They actually allow us to put ourselves into another place and explore.”
The map sources data from public agencies, including the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Garmin. Viewers can explore where wild rice lakes and rivers are located in relation to proposed mining zones, groundwater wells, and other environmental concerns and activities.
“Making a map where someone can come to the website, zoom in, and see where the wild rice waters are, compared to where the activity is, that’s very powerful,” Maccabee says. “It goes beyond reading and allows people to interact with and understand the issues in a different way.”
Tools for learning
Maccabee says the story map and ArcGIS map are game-changing tools for WaterLegacy’s work and education efforts.
“I use these maps all the time, not just for this project, but for all kinds of other work,” Maccabee shares. “Especially the map of the wild rice waters, mineral exploration areas and wells. It’s beautifully laid out, and we’ve used it to create posters, literature and fact sheets.”
She added that going forward, the report and digital tools will create ripples expanding beyond WaterLegacy.
“The document we created through this project will become part of the official legal record,” Maccabee said. “It will help ensure that decision-makers seriously consider the impact on wild rice.”
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