It was adopted by the Europeans from the Ojibwe name for the tribe, which was "manoominii", meaning "wild rice people", as wild rice is one of their most important food staples.
It was adopted by the Europeans from the Ojibwe, whom they were familiar with first. The Ojibwe name for the tribe was "manoominii", meaning "wild rice people", as wild rice is one of their most important food staples.