Which group harvested wild rice and had a farming economy?

• A. Mi'kmaq
• B. Inuit
• C. Anishinabe
• D. Iroquois Confederacy

Answer: (C)

Wild rice, or manoomin, grows in the Great Lakes region, and the Anishinabe built a way of life around picking this important wild food while also farming crops like corn, beans, and squash. This combination—gathering a regional wild staple and cultivating staple crops—led to a farming-based economy that centered in villages near the lakes. The other groups have different ecological contexts: Mi’kmaq relied more on coastal resources and hunting, Inuit adapted to Arctic conditions with hunting and gathering, and the Iroquois Confederacy were strong farmers but not linked to wild rice harvesting. So the Anishinabe best fit both harvesting wild rice and having a farming economy.