Pigeon Lake Rice Farming

[John Bacon]

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/property-owners-first-nations-square-223246501.html

 

There's a battle brewing between property owners on a lake in Ontario's Kawartha region and a First Nations group using the lake bed to seed and harvest rice.

At the centre of the dispute is Pigeon Lake, located north of Peterborough near Bobcaygeon.

Larry Wood, whose family has lived on the lake for more than 70 years, told CBC News the problem began about six years ago when a local man began seeding rice in the lake.

Wood, who says he is joined by more than 200 families opposed to the planting of rice on Pigeon Lake, says the rice has now spread from "shore to shore" choking out other plants and hindering recreational uses of the lake.

"If this is allowed to continue, Pigeon Lake as we know it will no longer exist," Wood told CBC News.

Wood is careful to point out that wild rice has grown in the lake for decades; a small patch has flourished near his property for as long as he can remember. But what he and a group of property owners are opposed to is the seeding of rice plants in the lake. Images his group has posted on the 'Save Pigeon Lake' website show rice plants growing over a large area on the lake — from above, it looks like a farmer's field.

He said the rice farming benefits one business owner to the detriment of all other lake users.

"It definitely is a commercial enterprise," said Wood. "No person should have the right to create their own fields to raise their own crop to sell something commercially that he personally grew in public waters."

Rice grower unapologetic

James Whetung of the Curve Lake First Nation is unapologetic. He plants and harvests the rice, selling it for $12 a pound under the brand name Black Duck Wild Rice. He says that it feeds his community.

He sees the issue as one of aboriginal sovereignty and aboriginal peoples' right to access traditional foods.

"They hate me and what I'm doing. And they hate my people," said Whetung.

He says landowners accost him and call police when his family tries to harvest the rice.

"They don't want to see Indians getting rich and they use us for scapegoats for all their problems," he said.

​Whetung says his people have gathered rice long before the cottagers came to the area.

"Why don't we kick them all off and take it all back," he said.

After spending three years lobbying various government bodies to prevent rice seeding on the lake, Wood said he and a group of neighbours were issued a permit by Parks Canada, which administers the Trent Severen Waterway, to "harvest aquatic weeds" from the lake at the end of July. A private company was hired to remove the rice from shoreline areas using a harvesting machine similar to a combine.

The weed harvesting was halted after a few days when a local First Nations group complained, arguing they weren't consulted about the removal of the rice, which is typically harvested in September.

"It's our right to harvest and gather so if any permits are given it should come through First Nations and not the Canadian government," said James Marsden, the chief of Alderville First Nation.

Parks Canada officials are planning to meet with First Nations groups next week to hear their side of the dispute and possibly reach a compromise.

Wood says property owners are "very upset" that the removal of planted rice was halted.

He said they're also frustrated by a lack of clarity about which government body has jurisdiction.

"When they bought their properties, none of this rice was here," said Wood.

[Tom McCutcheon]

I live on Pigeon Lake and when I bought my waterfront property (small bay off the main lake) in 2003, I could see clear out to the lake from my dock. Bass, panfish and the occasional muskie could be caught from my dock. In the last four years since the rice has choked off the mouth of the bay, the water flow is now minimal and the water is almost stagnant at my dock. There is very little oxygen left and the spawning beds which used to be prolific, are covered in silt.

This all due to the planting and mechanical harvesting of rice.

I have a problem with Mr. Whetung's statement that we all hate them. I don't have a problem with natives harvesting rice the traditional way, from canoes. When we have to put up with the constant roar all day long of an air boat equipped to harvest rice, and when he plants said rice in areas where it never was in the past, I have a problem with that.

This has only just begun to heat up.

Edited August 22, 2015 by Tom McCutcheon

[Rizzo]

uh oh here we go again

[ketchenany]

it will be short!

[esoxansteel]

Wild Rice is not an invasive specie, it was here many years ago, and provided Indiginous people with a healthy food, Wild Rice likely seen its demise with the flooding of the lands (Native Lands) when the Trent System was built. What James is essentially doing is bringing back a Native species, to both again feed his people. Which is the same as the MNR re-introducing Atlantics, and Lake Trout to Lake Ontario, and muskies to Lake Simcoe, which again use to populate both Lakes in numbers. Re-introducing Native species is nothing new, Rice Lake is called Rice Lake for one reason only. When species used to populate an area, and become non-existent, in the area they used to populate, it is 100% because of the white mans interference through globalization. There was No endangered species, or invasive species when Natives were the caretakers of the lands period.

[Tom McCutcheon]

So what your saying Steve is that the areas that are being planted with rice now are the same areas that sustained wild rice years ago? These same areas that were meadows and cedar bush lots?

What James is doing is harvesting in a non traditional method which allows him to harvest more profit in a season. He has decided on his own to expand his crops.

[smitty55]

I don't think you will find many people who believe that natives are the best caretakers of OUR resources. One only has to look at Nippissing or Lac Milles Lacs or even the history of lake Erie to see evidence of that. And to think that the white man's interference is responsible for all of this is totally ludicrous. I have absolutely no problem with native rights, to a point, but in many cases it goes way too far, just like your extremist attitude. This planting of wild rice that affects so many people and damages the lake itself is just another example of certain groups thinking they can do anything they want.

[dave524]

A species does not necessarily have to be an introduced species to be invasive. I was taught years ago that invasive species can also be a native species that colonizes an area to the point that they threaten the natural biodiversity of an ecosystem.

[glen]

$12 per lb. i need a rice harvester.

 

Is this on native land? Or who owns the water?

[John Bacon]

There was No endangered species, or invasive species when Natives were the caretakers of the lands period.

 

I wouldn't go that far. There are several extinct species such as wholly mamoths, sabre tooth cats, etc. that were present when the first nations first arrived in North America. It is possible that first nations peoples caused, or at least played a part, in their demise.

[fishindevil]

So what your saying Steve is that the areas that are being planted with rice now are the same areas that sustained wild rice years ago? These same areas that were meadows and cedar bush lots?

What James is doing is harvesting in a non traditional method which allows him to harvest more profit in a season. He has decided on his own to expand his crops.

. Ya the traditional method did not involve machinery and air boats ...... I agree

[misfish]

I remember fishing the mississippi river as a young boy . There were wild rice beds. We use to fish in them at night for cat fish. I thought I was going into a jungle.LOL

[ecmilley]

HMM usual Bull native stuff always pushing some new agenda, they were all recently paid out for the flooding of traditional lands in this area, sorry but at this ime dont think they deserve anything the time of tradition is come and gone, get a job join and contribute to society this two standard system in canada is a joke, they wanna enjoy all of whitemans tools, technology and education then try to rape land and water with same

[Tom McCutcheon]

Pretty civil until now.......

[Sinker]

I thought the rice feilds in the kawarthas were dwindling. I didnt know there were people harvesting it. Where abouts does this happen?

 

S.

[mr blizzard]

no disrespect to any one but we should all be treated equally we are all human, but some people take advantage of certain issues, we are all blessed to have some time on this earth, but some will try to use immaterial leverage for personal gain. U cant take it with you, been interesting from living in Ontario, bc and now Yellowknife, wont say anymore except I hope the lakes come back

[mr blizzard]

saw some issues right and maybe not quite right first hand did not need media interpretations , have saw it first hand, many people on this earth are stewards of this country, war vets included and many other people of various backgrounds and origins

[Rod Caster]

I don't know the history of the area, so for that part I can't comment, but that's a strong statement saying "they hate me and what I'm doing, and they hate my people" referring to every non-native person. How is that not considered blatant racism, fear mongering and hate breeding?

[captpierre]

I cottage on North Pigeon.

No rice up here. Maybe on Little Bald. Must be near the south end of Pigeon.

The Curve Lake reserve is situated nearby between Chemong and Upper Buckhorn Lakes.

I've been there many times. A fairly prosperous reserve, looking at it from the outside. There is a wonderful native art centre/gallery/museum called the Whetung Ojibwa Centre. Owned by the Whetung family. Same name of the fellow sewing the rice.

Does the reserve claim rights to The Pigeon lake area? Was this part of their original territory?

Does anyone know about the local native history?

[Big Cliff]

MNR in fact planted wild rice in Sturgeon lake to try to croud out some of the invasive species. The wild rice beds are expanding so fast you can almost watch them grow, in the last two or three years they have taken over huge areas. The wild rice then traps sediment which builds up over time and allows the wild rice to seed new areas.

 

We have a real battle going on here on Sturgeon Lake too however our fight is with the local municipality, they tax us on "waterfront" property and then if we want to clean out the weeds so we can swim or fish we have to jump through hoops and pay to get a permit.

 

I have no issues with native people wanting to harvest a natural resource, many members on here live off the land to some degree. I don't think they should have the right to cultivate areas where the rice wasn't established through natural means. Public land is just that for the use and enjoyment of all, no one people should be allowed to hamper the use of that land to the detriment of others.

[mattybculp]

I was out pre-fishing south pigeon yesterday, and my partner and I were commenting on how choked it is with rice everywhere. its unbelievable how much more rice there is this year compared to last year and the year before, I had gps way points that were easy to get too, now its virtually unnavigable with out a push pole. I wouldn't be surprised if in a couple more years south pigeon will be choked off completely,every year there is less and less navigable water on south pigeon. Its always been choked but the rice is getting crazy

[misfish]

So how does one harvest the rice? Is it worth the effort to do so?

[glen]

I saw it on tv once. They had one guy paddle a canoe and the guy in the back had four foot poles. He would bend the rice inside the canoe and hit it into a blanket on the bottom.

Let's build a machine then we can get more.

[Big Cliff]

I saw it on tv once. They had one guy paddle a canoe and the guy in the back had four foot poles. He would bend the rice inside the canoe and hit it into a blanket on the bottom.

Let's build a machine then we can get more.

That is the traditional way of doing it and it works quite well if you are trying to harvest enough for a family or even a small group. When you consider that wild rice sells for about $12.00 a lb and two men can easily harvest 10 to 20 lbs in a couple of hours under good conditions there is money to be made. We usually just put a sheet of plastic in the bottom of the canoe and up the sides. You wouldn't use 100% wild rice in a recipe, it is too strong in flavor so you typically mix it with brown rice. Course, we use to dig potatoes by hand too but technology has made it much easier to make a living at it.

[porkpie]

Hot damn, I'm heading to pigeon with my boat a blanket and a couple of my kids. I love wild rice!!