Candidate here, posting under Professor's moniker. This letter can be signed by anyone - artists, luminaries, politicians etc. Time is short - to show your support as a signatory respond to [email protected] with your name, address, email and phone number. Mayor Bergson and Councilors Ness, Gilbert and Reinert have already signed on. Final opportunity to see the documentary "Manoomin-A Minnesota Way of Life" about the Ojibwe's effort to win a moratorium on the genetic engineering of wild rice is Mon. April 24 at Chester Creek Cafe 7:00 PM.

Open Letter to Governor Pawlenty, President Brunicks and the Minnesota Legislature:
Wild rice, or Manoomin is about Minnesota. We have ten thousand lakes in this state, and many of them have a wild rice ecosystem, or once did. Wild rice is the only grain indigenous to North America, and Minnesota is the mother lode of biodiversity for wild rice. It cannot be replaced.
Wild rice has been and continues to be an essential part of Anishinaabeg culture, economy and way of life- and is protected under the l837 treaty with the Ojibwe people. It is unique in that it is the only treaty protected grain or crop on the continent.
For the past decade, many of us have asked for you to protect wild rice. We need you to act now.
The University of Minnesota has undertaken genetic work on wild rice. We are concerned that this work, or the work of corporate interests in California or elsewhere may create a strain of genetically engineered rice. Since most test plots for wild rice exist in Minnesota, and these test plots are proximate to wild rice stands, we are deeply concerned that at some future date, genetically engineered wild rice may be released in our ecosystem- transforming our lakes forever. Studies of other genetically engineered bent grass in test plots document their cross pollination in natural stands. In other states, like Hawaii , university officials have signed agreements with the Native Hawaiian community to protect Taro , a unique Hawaiian food. We are asking for the same.
We cannot afford to destroy the unique biodiversity which is wild rice or manoomin.
We are not opposing bio-technology, nor are we in opposition to paddy grown wild rice . The future of paddy grown wild rice is contingent upon the wellspring of natural biodiversity .We also believe ,the potential markets for something called ` genetically engineered wild rice” in a gourmet market would be miniscule. And, for lake harvested wild rice, and Anishinaabeg people who market our wild rice nationally and internationally, there would be irreparable harm to our markets as a result of genetic engineering. We have a unique food here which is natural, grows on our lakes, unique and deserves your protection.
We are asking the following:
1)The Minnesota legislature and governor should sign a bill prohibiting the introduction of genetically engineered wild rice into Minnesota- thus prohibiting potential contamination from California or other entities.
2) The Minnesota legislature should recognize wild rice as a unique part of our ecosystem, worth protecting for the ducks, waterfowl and humans yet to come.
3) The University of Minnesota should sign an agreement with the Ojibwe bands of Minnesota agreeing to not genetically engineer wild rice, and to work collaboratively to protect the unique manoomin for future generations.
Please take action today.
Miigwech