THE SACRED HARVEST: Ojibway Wild Rice Gathering

First in a promising new series--""We Are Still Here: Native Americans Today""--a look at an unusual crop with both traditional and commercial significance. Both author and photographer are Native American Minnesotans; Regguinti was raised on Leech Lake Reservation, depicted here. His straightforward text features Glen, a boy who's harvesting for the first time; the author also describes preparing the rice in the old way and commercially, notes the tradition of preserving the ""sacred harvest"" for personal use, and points out that new machine-harvestable strains of rice have caused hardship by driving clown prices. The excellent color photos are more candid than those for Hoyt-Goldsmith's Artic Hunter (above)--e.g., old clothes are sometimes worn--making for authenticity without detracting from the positive portrayal. Glossary; brief bibliography.