Last Thursday, April 10, a Senate hearing on an environmental bill became the unlikely setting for what was called a culture clash. When Indigenous leaders asked the committee to protect the inherent right of wild rice to exist and thrive in Minnesota, a Republican lawmaker tried to pivot. They brought up unborn babies, and personhood for plants. Both controversial issues are distractions. 

The issue at the core of the bill is the need to recognize and honor the living beings we share this Earth with. They have an inherent right– separate from any right “assigned” by humans– to exist and thrive, just as we do. 

In Anishinaabe culture, we understand that without all living beings we will cease to exist; our survival would not be possible. We show respect to our plant and animal kin, along with gratitude for this. This is what it means to recognize the inherent right of a living being. It is an invitation into a generational relationship of mutuality and whether we acknowledge it or not, that right exists. Recognizing it is a powerful first step toward fostering a deep respect for the Earth and all the living beings that call it home..

Recognition of an inherent right of a plant is fundamentally different from granting it the same rights as a person. In fact, it does not “grant” rights at all. To do so would imply that we hold dominion over the plant and animal world; we do not. In the words of Chief Seattle, “We are a part of the Earth and it is a part of us.” This understanding is a central piece of Indigenous cultures rooted in respect, balance, and reciprocity.

 This concept, though, is not a religious belief. It is, instead, a central part of our culture. The distinction is significant.. Religion focuses on a person’s belief about the divine. Culture is a way of life, a way of interacting with the world here and now. For example, a disagreement about when the divine creates life is religious. But Americans who disagree on that issue may still find cultural common ground.

Certainly, wild rice has a spiritual dimension for many Anishinaabe people. Our stories tell of a prophecy that instructed our people to migrate west to where the food grows on the water. They tell of why wild rice is important to us as a people. SF 1247 cannot and would not make these spiritual teachings law. 

The United States has worked hard to erase my people’s culture through acts of genocide and the forced assimilation of boarding schools. Take a brief look back at U.S. history and you will see it is a miracle that we are still here, out in the spring enjoying the sweetness of the maple season. Our culture is a story of resilience and hope and it remains intact, and it remains dependent on the connection with the land around us. This legislation is about recognizing that relationship and protecting it for generations to come. 

Senator Wessenberg spoke about his religious desire to protect the unborn. In a way, Anishinaabe cultural practices do exactly that. A central part of Anishinaabe culture is looking out for the seventh generation, meaning we act today with respect for the children that will come seven generations from now. They have not yet come into this world, but will. What kind of world are we leaving them? Will there be food, clean water, and the lands of abundance to sustain them? Will they have the ability to practice their culture? 

This is where our values align with yours, Senator Wessenberg. Those unborn children or next generations should have rights that we honor today. They should have the right to drink clean water, breathe clean air, and continue traditions like the harvest of wild rice. And because those children are not yet here, we must do the work to protect their rights. By protecting wild rice today, we honor not just the past, but also the future generations who will rely on it for food, culture, and connection to the land.  If we protect that then we protect future generations or the unborn. 

Leanna Goose Rise and Repair Alliance Co-Facilitator and Organizer