More wild berries like this handful of blueberries, above, will be planted in Grand Portage and Fond du Lac under a project headed by the North American Water Office.
The Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa will share in a $44,000 grant with the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa aimed at restoring wild fruits and berries to tribal lands.
Wild fruits and berries are essential foods for wildlife and Indigenous Peoples, nutritionally and ceremonially. The traditional indigenous diet was highly varied, including wild game, wild rice, the three sisters (corn/ beans/squash), wild fruits and berries, and gathered herbs, plants, and medicines.
“This generous ($44,000) award to the North American Water Office (NAWO) enables us to improve water quality and address environmental, healthy food, cultural, and social issues at the same time,” noted Lea Foushee, Environmental Justice director of NAWO.
NAWO will collaborate with the two tribes on wild fruit and berry restoration projects, one in Carlton County with the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, and the other in Cook County with the Grand Portage Chippewa (Ojibwe).
The Wild Fruit and Berry Project will plant over 2,500 shrubs and trees, from black raspberries to wild plums, significantly expanding the availability of these fresh, healthy foods to community members in Fond du Lac and Grand Portage. The tribes will collaborate with NAWO on recruiting and training people to plant and care for the wild fruits and berries and will own and maintain the plantings and equipment.
“I am honored that we were chosen to receive the funds that will allow us to provide the community with a fresh source for berries as part of our locally grown food initiative,” said Paula Schaefbauer, Health Services director, Grand Portage Reservation.
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