Home / Events
NRD Lets Boil Maple Sap Iskigmizigedaa
All GTB community members are invited to be a part of the GTB Sugar Bush, a great outdoor activity for all ages. Come learn about this ancestral practice, help feed the evaporator, tap a tree, and taste some fresh maple syrup.
Members of the community can visit the GTB Natural Resource Dept Sugar Bush on Putnam Rd. Drop-ins are welcome!
Due to the mild winter, sap production will be very limited
GTB Ishigamizigan (Sugar Bushing) - Open to Public
- March 14th & 15th • 1pm-4pm
- March 20th & 21st • 1pm-4pm
How Does it Work?
Different maple products are made by heating maple syrup to a higher boiling temperature. Crystallization of the sugars in maple syrup will begin when enough water is removed from the
syrup, so the lager sucrose molecules can begin to bond together. The more water removed, the tighter the crystallization bonding.
About Ishigamizigan
The ancestors of Grand Traverse Band citizens processed maple sugar using traditional techniques. This included use of birch bark baskets to collect the sap, sumac stems to use as “taps” or spiles. Sugar was derived by removing ice from the baskets, and boiling sap in animal skin containers using heated rocks.
Maple sugar is easier to transport, and more shelf stable than maple syrup. Sugar was used as a sweetener, and also to preserve meats. Maple sugar, in moderation, has medicinal uses as well. It is a miraculous natural product that makes evident the sophisticated and productive life ways that sustained this community.
Contact
(231) 534-7023
William.Derouin@gtb-nsn.gov
http://www.gtbindians.org/agricultural.asp
3505 N Putnam Rd, Suttons Bay MI 49682