The Surprising Link between Squirrels and Maple Syrup

By: Nimkii Brad Howie

Woodland style are of a Maple Tree, a Squirrel, and a Birch Bark bucket to collect falling sap

There is this myth that Indigenous peoples, including First Nations of the Northeastern Woodlands, did not have writing systems. And that’s what it is, a myth. Many First Nations across the Northeastern Woodlands, and many Indigenous peoples all across North America did have systems of writing. However, it was a deliberate choice to prioritize oral traditions. That’s why I like to say we were not oral by default; we were oral by design.

Everything from our language to our culture, to our histories and scientific knowledge was passed down through the spoken word, from generation to generation. You were not necessarily taught to read words on a page, you were taught to read the land, the waters, and the sky. Every landscape, every being has a story to tell, a lesson to teach us. All we have to do is take the time to listen and learn. When we learn to read the land and hear the stories being told, we open ourselves to the knowledge and wisdom that nature is trying to share with us. This knowledge and wisdom is not limited to a single season; rather it reveals itself throughout the cycles of the year.

One of these teachings emerges during a very specific time of year, this time of the year. It begins when the days are warm enough to rise above freezing, but the nights still drop below zero. When a light blanket of snow still covers Mother Earth, and many beings remain in deep slumber waiting for the arrival of spring. It is in this season that the sweet sap of the Sugar Maple begins to flow.

This sap is famous today because when boiled down it transforms into the magical maple syrup. But long before syrup became a commercial industry, it was one of the greatest gifts that Mother Earth shared with the First Nations of the Northeastern Woodlands. But how did First Nations, such as the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee, discover the sweet sap of the Sugar Maple tree? There are many stories about how this knowledge came to be. One surprising and funny connection comes from the most unlikely of teachers: the squirrel.

At this time of the year strong gusts of wind can easily break a maple branch and sap will begin to trickle from this wound. One with observant eyes and constant vigilance looking for signs of communication from Nature may notice a squirrel drinking this sweet and nourishing liquid. This small act of can be easily overlooked or it can spark curiosity, spark a question: “what is so special about this sap?”

Guided by this observation, my ancestors tasted and learned about this sweet sap. Through generations of trial and error, of science, they learned how to collect the sap in birch bark baskets, boil it down, and make maple sugar. The maple sugar was stored in birch bark cones that could be hung up and provide nourishment and a sweet addition to any meal all year long. 

Just as nature provides the first sign of when to begin tapping the trees, she also gives the signal for when to stop. When the moths awaken and begin to gather in the sap buckets, it is time to end the harvest. The Sugar Maple trees have given their gift, and the cycle of listening, learning, and respecting the land goes on, generation to generation.

By paying attention to the beings around us, we gain knowledge that cannot be found in books alone. The squirrels, the trees, and even the smallest signs of nature remind us that the land is always teaching, all we have to do is listen.