Native American: Cooking by the 13 Moons - August: Ricing Moon (Southwest)

August is the 7th Moon known as the Ricing Moon, a deeply important time in the Anishinaabe 13 Moons calendar. This is when Manoomin (Wild Rice), "The Food that Grows on Water”, is harvested. Ricing Moon is not simply about gathering food; it is about responsibility, relationship, and gratitude. Harvesting wild rice requires patience, skill, and respect for the waters, the plants, and the teachings passed down through generations. Historically, families and communities traveled to rice lakes, working together from canoes to gently knock ripe rice into the boat while ensuring the plant could continue to grow for future seasons. The rice was then dried, parched, hulled, and stored. Ricing is labor intensive work that reflects the value placed on Wild Rice and stewardship of the land and water. Ricing Moon teaches us that nourishment comes through with community effort, cooperation, and honoring the gifts we are entrusted with. This session we’ll prepare Wild Rice Stuffed Delicata Squash and we’ll enjoy Bison & Wild Rice Stuffed Delicata Squash.

If the tour is full, please add your name to the waitlist. We will notify you if a spot opens.

April Smith

April Smith is an enrolled member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. She is also an

Indigenous Educator and Facilitator, an Herbalist from Cornell University, a Curriculum Designer, and her work is rooted in Ojibwe cultural education and nutrition, Indigenous Food Sovereignty, and community wellness. With over 16 years of experience designing and facilitating learning experiences for communities and organizations, April brings a unique approach that blends Anishinaabe foodways with modern wellness practices. Her work is grounded in reciprocity, sustainability, and respect for ancestral knowledge. She teaches that food is medicine and that every ingredient has a story, one that connects us all through shared humility and care for Mother Earth. April’s Indigenous Cooking Class Series runs from January 2026 through May 2026, featuring five seasonal classes that celebrate traditional Anishinaabe foods and share how the Anishinaabe people lived by the 13 Moon System. Cooking by the 13 Moons: Indigenous Seasons of Food Series invites participants to rediscover the relationship between food, culture, and the land, an experience that nourishes both body and spirit

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