About this episode

David Wise discusses his journey of bringing bison back to his family ranch and the cultural significance of traditional foods.

David Wise grew up on the Fond du Lac Reservation in Minnesota, where food followed the seasons and knowledge of the land was woven into daily life. Today, as the founder of Native Wise, he raises bison, harvests manoomin, or wild rice, and produces maple sugar, maple syrup, and honey. But his path to this work was anything but straightforward. In this episode, David joins host Dana DiPrima to talk about growing up Ojibwe, the knowledge passed through his family, his years working in forestry, conservation, and with the USDA, and the extraordinary story behind bringing bison back to his family ranch. They talk about the cultural and ecological importance of manoomin, why naturally growing wild rice is so dependent on clean water and healthy ecosystems, and what is lost when communities are separated from traditional foods. David also shares the practical realities of building Native Wise today, from growing a bison herd and creating markets to processing, supplying restaurants, and raising the next generation inside the work. It is a conversation about food, land, culture, community, and what it means to carry knowledge forward. It is also full of great stories, including a bull…

People in this episode

Host: Dana DiPrima

Guest: David Wise

Topics covered

• bison
• Ojibwe culture
• traditional foods
• sustainable agriculture
• ecological importance
• community

Keywords

• bison
• Ojibwe
• manoomin
• wild rice
• Native agriculture
• sustainability
• food culture

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Native Wise

Products: manoomin, maple sugar, maple syrup, honey, bison hot dogs

Places: Fond du Lac Reservation, Minnesota

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