Evening journal., 1902-09-25
MAPLB SUGAR DUB
TO INDIAN FEACHING
Red Man Taught The Pale
Face How to Make The
Dainty

Very few OF the people 20 whom ma.
pie sugar IS an entirely familiar and |
commonplace thing are aware OF the
fact that the method OF making sugar |
was taught 10 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
mnke Il from the Indian women. The
sap was collected In a rude way, a cash
being cut IN the tree, and Into this
stick was thrust. down which the free
ly flowing sap drpped into a vessel Of
birch bark or a gourd or into wooden
troughs followed out by fire or the ak.
Then into larger wooden troughs full
Of the sap rcdhot 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 slrup
was mnde. which later became sugar
This manufacture OF the sugar was
not confined to any one tribe, but was
prGcticed by all northern Indians and
was known TO those living as far south
nc In t,,I A I..
sugar making tribes n special festival
was held. which was called the maple
dance which was undoubtedly re-
llglous festival In the nature Of
prayer or propltlatory ceremony, ask
ing for an abundant flow of sap and
for good fortune In collecting It.
Among many II not all the Indians
lnhabitlng 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 n concen-
trated form of nutrlment not much
less valuable In respect to its quality
Of support than the pemmlcan 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 Rntirontaks.
meaning tree eaters. was applied to the
Algonquin tribes. and an eminent au-
thority, DR.. Brinton, has suggested
that they We're probably 80 called
from their love OF the product Of the
sugar maple" On the other hand.
A. Il. Chamberlain has very plausibly
said that 1t is hardly likely that the
Iroquois distinguished other tribes by
this term. II It's origin be as suggested,
since they themselves were sugar maxi
ers aud eaters"
A more probable origin of the word Is
that given by Schoolcraft, in substance
as follows: ''Ratlrontaks, whence Adj
rondacks, was applied chiefly to the
Montagnais tribes, north Of the ST.
Lawrence, and was a derislve term in
dicating n 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 inhsblt the country where the sug-
an maple grows aud also those In other
parts Of the country where the maple
Is unknown.
on the western pralrles sugar was
wade also from the box elder. which
trees were tapped by the Indians and
lhe sap boiled down for sugar. and to-
day the Cheyenne Indians tell us that
Il was from this tree that they derived
6ll the sugar that they had until the
arrival of the white man on the plains
something more than so years ago.
II Is interesting to observe that In
many tribes today the word for sugar
Is precisely the word which they ap-
piled TO tho product of the maple tree
before they knew the white mans sug-
ar Il Is interesting 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 Omahas and poncas, according to
]. o. Dorsey. and also of the Kansas,
Usage and Iowa, Winnebago, Tuscaro-
ra and pawnee. The Cheyennes, on
the other hand, call II box elder water.
A. i. Chamberlain. who has gone with
great care into the question Of the
meaning Of the words which designate
the maple tree and its product. Is dis
posed TO believe that the name Of the
maple means the tree-in other words,
the real or actual tree or the tree which
stands above all others.-Forest and
Stream.
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