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Copper's Decision To Grow Manoomin Essay

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The last time the atmosphere had as much CO2 as it does now was more than 3 million years ago, when sea levels were much higher and trees grew in the South Pole (Charity Digital). As the world grapples with the impact of climate change and the need for more sustainable agricultural practices, Arthur Copper’s decision to grow manoomin in the book ‘Cottagers and Indians’ by Drew Hayden Taylor offers a unique opportunity to explore the intersection of environmentalism and cultural preservation. In this essay, I will argue that Copper’s decision to grow manoomin is justifiable and necessary, given its potential to promote sustainable agriculture. In addition to the health benefits, it also plays a role in cultural preservation, reconciliation, …show more content…

The growth of manoomin in lakes helps an entire ecosystem to live from the bugs living off it to the snakes, frogs, and birds that use it to find food and shelter, creating a food chain for a whole ecosystem. Arthur explains this in the book when he says “You should see when I harvest bags of the stuff. Lots of bugs and insects crawling all through it… See, these insects live off the plants, and those that don't, live off the insects that do. Add to that all the birds, frogs, snakes, and other animals that consider manoomin a food court because of those insects.” (Taylor 29) This response proves that growing manoomin can help many different aspects of the environment. This also shows how destroying a field of manoomin can cause an ecological disaster, displacing many insects and animals and removing many food sources. Given this information, we know that manoomin is amazing for the environment, but it is also very good for humans. Eating manoomin has many important and helpful impacts on the health of whoever is eating it. Manoomin helps you meet your daily protein needs, magnesium requirements, and a lot of iron and potassium. This quote shows Arthur telling Maureen about many of the …show more content…

In another section, Arthur explains that not only is it great for you, but it also smells and tastes fantastic. We know that manoomin is fantastic for both animals and humans, and now we can explore how important manoomin is for Indigenous people. The preservation of manoomin is related to the role of cultural preservation in reconciliation. Manoomin is a very significant part of Indigenous culture from the growth to the preparation. Its preservation will help to bring Indigenous communities together. We speak a lot about reconciliation, and to get this, we have to preserve their culture and not kill it. In this quote, Arthur explains how traditional preparations are taught and passed down from the Elders to younger generations. “When I would see Marie dancing her heart out on that blanket, I could see my grandmother, and her grandmother, and her grandmother. All I could see were grandmothers preparing manoomin for their children… Then you roast manoomin on a fire, or in a roaster. And then you eat it. That has been the pattern for more generations than anybody can remember, For us, it’s a form of food sovereignty.” (Taylor

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