Wild rice has long been an important food for the Ojibwe people in this region, and its harvest remains an important seasonal event today. Every fall the Ojibwe paddled their canoes through the shallow waters of the wild rice beds, bending the long stalks of the plants and beating them lightly until the bottoms of the boats were filled with ripened grain. The harvest provided food to last through the harsh winter and a product they could sell to traders. In the early 1800s, this region, called the Folle Avoine or Wild Rice Department by the North West Company, was home to about 3,500 Ojibwe, and traders depended heavily on them for meat, wild rice, and furs.