Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-05-14
INDIAN MAPLE SUGAR
THE RED MAN TAUGHT THE WHITE
MAN TO MAKE THE DAINTY.

All Northern Indians and wa
Known to Those Living ~ Far
South N Florida and Texas.
Very few of the people to whom ma
pie sugar is an entirely familiar and
commonplace thing are aware OF the
fact that the method Of making sugar
was taught to the white people by the
Indians and that they made sugar long
before the discovery Of America. This
is only one of the many things that the
white people learned from the Indians.
Others were the weaving of cotton, the
cultivation of Indian corn and the use
of tobacco.
Some Of the early writer's tell us that
the French were the first to make this
sugar and that they learned how to
make 1t from the Indian women. The
sap was collected in rude way, cash
being cut In the tree, and into this
stick was thrust, down which the free
ly flowing sap dripped into vessel OF
birch bark or gourd or into wooden
troughs followed out by fire or the ak.
Then into larger wooden troughs full
of the sap redhot stones were thrown,
Just as In old times they used to be
thrown into the water in which food
was boiled, and by constantly throwing
in hot stones and taking out those that
had become cool the sap was boiled
and evaporated, and at length strip
was made, which later became sugar.
This manufacture Of the sugar was
not confined to any one tribe, but was
practiced by all northern Indians and
was known to those living as far south
as Florida and Texas. Among the
sugar making tribes a special festival
was held, which was called the maple
dance, which was undoubtedly a re-
ligious festival in the nature Of a
prayer or propitiatory ceremony, ask
ing for an abundant flow Of sap and
for good fortune in collecting it.
Among many II not all the Indians
| inhabitng the northern United States
maple sugar was not merely luxury,
something eaten because 1t was tooth
some. but was actually an important
part of their support. Mixed with
pounded. parched corn, it was put up
In small quantities and was a concen-
trated form Of nutriment not much
less valuable in respect to Its quality
of support than the pemmican which
was used almost down to our own
times.
Among all the older writer's who had
much familiarity with the customs of
the Indians accounts are given Of the
manufacture of sugar, and this custom
was so general that among many
tribes the month in which the sap ran
best was called the sugar month. BY
the Iroquois the name RatirOntaks,
meaning tree eaters, was applied to the
Algonquin tribes, and IN eminent au-
thority DR.. Brinton, has suggested
that they were probably 80 called
from their love Of the product of the
sugar maple" On the other hand,
A. f. Chamberlain has very plausibly
said that it is hardly likely that the
Iroquofs distinguished other tribes by
this term. If its origin be as suggested,
since they themselves were sugar max
ers and eaters"
A more probable origin Of the word Is
that given by Schoolcraft. in substance
as follows: "Ratirontaks, whence Adj
rondacks. was applied chiefly to the
Montagnais tribes, north Of the st.
Lawrence. and was derisive term In
dicating well known habit Of these
tribes Of eating the inner bark Of trees
In winter when food was scarce or
when on war excursions"
This habit of eating the inner bark OF
trees was, as is well known, common
to many tribes Of Indians, both those
who inhabit the country where the sug'
ar maple grows and also those In other
parts of the country where the maple
Is unknown.
On the western prairies sugar was
made also from the box elder. which
trees were tapped by the Indians and
the sap boiled down for sugar, and to
day the Cheyenne Indians tell us that
1t was from this tree that they derived
all the sugar that they had until the
arrival of the white man on the plains
something more than so years ago.
1t Is interesting to observe that II
many tribes today the word for sugar
is precisely the word which they ap
piled to the product Of the maple tree
before they knew the white mans sug
ar. 1t is interesting also to see thai
among many tribes the general tern
, for sugar means wood or tree water
that Is to say. tree sap. This Is true Of
the Omahas and Poncas, according t.
]. o. Dorsey. and also Of the Kansas
Usage and Iowa, Winnebago, Tuscaro
"a and Pawnee. The Cheyennes. OF
the other hand, call it box elder water
A. f. Chamberlain, who has gone will
great care into the question Of TIT
meaning Of the words which designate
the maple tree and its product, Is dis
posed to believe that the name Of tn
maple means the tree-in other words
the real or actual tree or the tree whicl
stands above all oth0rs.-Forest ant
Stream.