The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-14
THE MAKING OF MAPLE SUGAR.
Its Manufacture Taught Ia whites
by Indians.

Very few of the people to whom manle
sugar Il an entirely familiar and common
place thing are aware at the fact that the
method of making sugar was taug n to the
white people by the Indians, and chat 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 il 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 freely flowing sap dripped
into vessel of birch bark or a goIrd or
into wooden troughs followed ont by fire
or the ak. Then into larger wooden
troughs full of the sap red hot stones
were thrown-iust as in old times they
used to be thrown into the water in
which food was boiled-and Zy con-
stantly throwing in hot stones and taking
out those that had become cool the sap
was boiled and evaporated. and at length
the syrup was made, which later became
sugar.
This manufacture of the sugar was not
confined TO any one tribe. but was prac-
ticed 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 religious festival in
the nature of prayer or propitiatory
ceremony, asking for an abundant flow OF
sap and for good fortune in collecting IL.
Among many If not all the Indians in
habiting the Northern United States
maple sugar was not merely a luxury
something eaten because IL was tooth
some-but was actually an important part
OF their support. Mixed with pounded,
parched corn IL was put up in small guam
titles and was concentrated form of
nutf1ment. not much less valuable in re-
spect to its quality of support than the
pemmican which was used almost down
to own times
Among air the older writer's who had
much familiarity with the customs OF the
Indians, accounts are given Of the manu-
facture OF sugar, and this custom was 50
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 10 the
Algonquin tribes. and an eminent author
lily, DIR. Brinton. has suggested that
they were probably 80 called from their
love Of the product Of the sugar ma pie"
On the other hand, A. +. Chamberlain
has very piausibly said that IL is hardly
likely that the Iroquois distinguished
other tribes by this term, IL its origin be
as suggested. since they themselves were
sugar makers and caters more prob
able origin Of the word is that given by
Schoolcraft in substance as follows:
"Ratirontaks. whence Adirondacks. was
applied chiefly TO the Montagnais tribes.
north of the St Lawrence, and was a
derisive term Indicating well-known
habit OF these tribes of eating the inner
bark of trees i'm winter when food was
scarce, or when on war excursions This
habit Of eating the inner bark of trees
was, is well known, common to many
tribes OF Indians both those who inhabit
the country where II c sugar maple grows
and also those In otter parts of the coun-
try where the maple is unknown.
On the Western sorairles sugar was
made also from the box elder, which trees
were tapped by the Indians and the sap
boiled down for sugar and today the
Cheyenne Indians tell us that IL 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 fifty years ago.
II is interesting to observe that IN many
tribes today the word for sugar is pre-
cisely the word which they applied to the
product of the maple tree before they
knew the white mans sugar. Ii is in
teresting. also to see that among many
tribes the general term for sugar means
wood or tree water-that Is to say, tree
sap. This is true OF the Onahas and
Poncas, according to j. o. Dorsey and
also OF the Kansas, Usage. and Iowa
Wiunebago, Tuscarora. and Pawnee The
Cheyennes, on the other hand. call IL box
elder water. A. r. Chamberlain who has
gone with great care into the question OF
the meaning OF the words which desig-
nate the pie tree and It's product Is
disposed TO believe that the name of the
maple means the tree-iff~ other words
the real actual tree. or the tree which
stands above all others.