Wild rice (Zizania aquatica and Z. palustris) once grew commonly in lakeshore wetlands and along slow flowing waterways in the area we now call upstate NY. As a highly nutritious annual grass, wild rice provided food for waterfowl and for Indigenous human communities alike. Many wild rice stands have been lost to shoreline development, pollution, dredging, stream channelization and other factors. However, wild rice still occurs sporadically in NYS, for example along the Eastern shore of Lake Ontario in protected bays and inlets. The purpose of this project is to learn more about the historic and current distribution of wild rice in waterways in Onondaga Nation aboriginal territory, including Lake Ontario shoreline and the Oswego River watershed. Specifically, we seek to answer these questions, within the area outlined by the 2005 Onondaga Land Rights Action:
- Where did wild rice occur historically? - Where does it grow now? -Where could it be and what restoration would be required?
The project is in its early stages. We will present data we have so far in response to these three questions, and welcome feedback.
