Nature as a Cultural Identifier
“Mahnomin” is a poem by Ojibwa
writer Jim Northrup. The word mahnomin translates to “wild rice” in English and
plays an essential role in this Native tribe’s culture. Rice harvesting is an
annual event that has been passed down from generation to generation among the
Ojibwa people. Nature as a whole is monumental in this poem and is very closely
connected to the livelihood of these people. The title “wild rice” further
emphasizes the importance of nature because the word “wild” is so commonly
associated with the natural world, something that is often thought to be
destructive and untamable, but in this case acts as a gentle companion. The
connection these people feel with the natural world expressed in this poem
highlights the importance of spirituality, tradition, and kinship in Ojibwa culture.
Nature to the Ojibwa people is more
than merely a setting or an environment, it is a spiritual being or entity that
people are as connected to as they are to their immediate family. In the first
few words of the poem Northrup offers thanks to the lake for another good year
of harvesting. The lake, along with the rice, the sun, and the cedar trees, is
personified in this poem. Northrup states that the water “welcomed us” and that
the rice heads “nodded in agreement.” By using this personification the natural
world comes to life in the eyes of the reader. It also opens up the idea of the
natural world being a kind of spiritual force in the poem. Northrup uses the
phrase “megwetch Munido,” a statement that expresses the thankfulness the
Ojibwa feel for the good harvest and the respect they have for the universal
spirit that resides in all things. This idea of Munido, the universal soul in
everything, is common among Native American tribes and is what makes the
connection between man and nature in this poem so vivid and strong. Apart from
helping the Ojibwa stay in tune with the spiritual realm, nature also allows
them to stay in touch with their roots and traditions.
The connection between nature and
tradition in this poem in unavoidable; it is obvious from the first read that
the speaker’s tribe has been harvesting mahnomin on these waters for centuries.
If not obvious enough, Northrup specifically uses the phrase “ricing again”
which implies that this is a ritual practice, one that has taken place many
times before and will continue for times to come. The ricing tradition feels
almost rhythmic to the reader because of the use of action verbs. Northrup uses
sensory words and images to engage the reader and bridge the gap between man
and nature. He says, “the cedar caressed the heads” and “the rice bearded up”
and the “fingers stripping rice,” all of these action verbs evoke the feeling
of repetition, a sense that these motions have been done many times before in
the same rice field by the harvester’s ancestors. The importance of tradition
is further implied through the mention of the seasons. Rice harvesting can only
take place during one season of the year, and this makes ricing an annual
ritual for the Ojibwa. Northrup mentions how the rice harvest provides these
people with many meals during the winter and when the relatives come together
they talk of other seasons and share memories with one another. Tradition to
the Ojibwa is necessary for the survival of their culture and nature is the
outlet that allows their traditions to thrive, while also connecting them to
their ancestors and the memories of their people.
Nature plays a vital role in
connecting the present day Ojibwa people with their predecessors. The importance
of family and ancestry is a central component of this poem and Northrup
emphasizes this importance through the annual act of ricing. The harvest is a
time when relatives are able to come together and shares stories and memories.
By doing this they are passing down traditions and keeping the Ojibwa culture
alive. Without this annual ricing and sharing of memories of the Ojibwa people
their stories would eventually fade into myth. The speaker notes the “laughing,
gossiping, and remembering” done among the family members during the rice
harvest and states that is it “easy to feel a part of the generations that have
riced here before” because of the exchanges of laughter and stories amongst his
relatives. The history and the ancestry of the Ojibwa people is so cherished by
the tribe that the speaker even goes to say that “it felt better getting off
[the lake] carrying a canoe load of food and centuries of memories” than it
felt to get on the lake when the anticipation of harvest was at it’s peak.
“Mahnomin” effectively turns a simple subject, ricing, into a powerful example
of the bond of kinship in the Ojibwa tribe and the importance these people
place on oral story telling and their cultural history.
Jim Northrup’s “mahnomin” depicts the
Ojibwa as a people whose livelihood is interconnected with the natural world.
Their spirituality, their traditions, and even their relationships with their
family members are all dependent on nature. The idea of “megwetch Munido,” or
thanking the universal spirit in all things for a successful harvest and
respecting the spirit of nature for allowing the harvest to take place, gives
insight into just how important nature is to the spirituality of these people.
They see nature as a spirit, something they share a connection with in a
brotherly way. Nature is the sole reason for their annual tradition of ricing,
since rice can only grow in a certain season every year. The Ojibwa act of
ricing appears almost natural to the reader because of the sensory images and
action verbs used to describe the harvest itself. The “naturalism” of this
action seems to be something the Ojibwa are born with, something they have
inherited. This paves the way for the importance of kinship and family history
because the annual ricing event allows relatives to come together from
different lands and share oral stories of their tribe and memories of previous
harvests. “Mahnomin” places nature as a central acting force in the lives of
the Ojibwa people; from their beliefs to their traditions and relationships it
is evident that the natural world and the Ojibwa are intertwined and that these
people’s connection with nature acts as a cultural identifier.
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