“My dream involves creating spaces of reconnection to food and land. I have been able to see how those spaces of reconnection can spark a fire-like passion for food. I, for one, have felt that spark and have been following that fire-like passion, and I hope to be able to do the same for others. ”
Sagen Quale (Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians), 24, is a food sovereignty advocate and community organizer dedicated to strengthening relationships between people, culture, and land. Based in Bayfield, Wisconsin, Sagen has spent the past several years supporting and expanding Manoomin (wild rice) camps, where communities gather to harvest and learn from their plant relative. Through her academic research and hands-on work, she has deepened her commitment to preserving Ojibwe foodways and ensuring that traditional knowledge is passed on to future generations.
Manoomin is central to Ojibwe identity, culture, and food sovereignty, yet both the plant and the knowledge surrounding its harvest and care are at risk. Through her research, Sagen has heard directly from Tribal and non-Tribal harvesters about the need for education rooted in respect, reciprocity, and cultural practice, as well as the urgent need to address the decline of wild rice beds in parts of northern Wisconsin. Her Dreamstarter project, “Intertribal Manoomin Camp,” responds to this need by creating accessible, hands-on opportunities for community members to reconnect with Manoomin while strengthening their rights to harvest and steward this vital resource.
Building on existing efforts, Sagen will host a four-day Intertribal Manoomin Camp over Labor Day weekend, bringing together multiple Ojibwe Nations and neighboring communities. Participants will engage in harvesting, processing, cooking, and preserving wild rice, while also crafting traditional tools such as cedar ricing sticks, moccasins, and birchbark baskets. The project will include community-led reseeding efforts to help restore declining rice beds, ensuring sustainability for future harvests. Through this work, Sagen aims to foster lasting spaces of reconnection—between people, culture, and land—while cultivating a new generation of Manoomin harvesters and stewards committed to carrying these traditions forward.
