Rice Harvest is a short video about the harvesting of wild rice by the people of the Pauingassi band of Manitoba. Wild rice was once a staple food among the Ojibway and Saulteaux but now it is considered a luxury item in North America and Europe. The film documents the brief trading exchange between a bush pilot and the men of Pauingassi. The bush pilot lands the plane on the lake and proceeds to purchase the wild rice without ceremony. The trade is strictly cash and the film notes that the rice is bought for $2.25 per pound. The retail price for wild rice is quoted at $25.00 per pound. There are brief scenes of the men harvesting and processing the rice. Unfortunately the people who harvest the rice are not allowed a voice in this film produced by the National Film Board in 1980. Limited background information is provided about the sacredness of wild rice to First Nations. The film has a feeling of quiet despair about it as the narrator speaks about the possibility that wild rice may soon become a thing of the past for First Nations. The film does provide documentation of the wild rice harvest in a camp setting during the late 20th century. OUT OF PRINT
