A Letter from Many Roots Day
October 14, 1978
Dear Tomas,
Last Saturday, our community center in Minneapolis held Many Roots Day. Families shared customs, foods, languages, and stories. I learned that American communities have many cultures. No single tradition tells the story of everyone in America.
At the Ojibwe table, an Ojibwe family showed a bundle of manoomin, or wild rice. They explained that some Ojibwe families harvest rice from lakes in canoes, as their grandparents did. One person pushes the canoe with a long pole. Another gently knocks the rice into the canoe with two wooden sticks. Long ago, families used birchbark canoes. Today, many use metal canoes, but they still knock the rice by hand. Then they dry and cook the rice. The family said this tradition is important to many Ojibwe communities, though families may practice it in different ways.
At the Cherokee Nation table, a teacher showed the Cherokee syllabary. Sequoyah created this writing system in the 1800s. Children read words from a booklet while an older speaker shared Cherokee words aloud. At the Japanese American table, families shaped mochi, a rice cake that many families make for New Year's celebrations.
Each table had the group's name. I understood why that mattered. Ojibwe, Cherokee, and Japanese American families have different histories and traditions. People can keep a tradition meaningful while using new tools or sharing it in a new place. I hope our class has a day like this someday.
Your friend,
Lena