Robert Desjarlait is Ojibwe-Anishinabe from Red Lake, Minnesota. He is a co-founder of Protect Our Manoomin – a Minnesota Anishinaabe grassroots organization that informs and educates on mining and its effects on manoomin. DesJarlait is involved as a facilitator for White Bison Wellbriety groups in the Twin Cities. He is a journalist and has written for The Circle Newspaper. He is also a member of the University of Minnesota Council of Elders.

First Person Radio’s Laura Waterman Wittstock with Andy Driscoll get an update on the wild rice and other highly sensitive environmental issues threatening the survival of wild rice in the Upper Midwest ricing areas in Minnesota. Wild Rice – Mahnoomin – is one of the sacred foods of the Anishinabe. It has been harvested by environmentally protected processes for centuries by the Dakota and Anishinabe peoples.

Guests:

ROBERT DESJARLAIT (Ojibwe) – Artist/Advocate – Red Lake Indian Tribe, Co-Founder, Protect Our Manoomin