ABENAKI SUGARMAKING

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One spring day, some Abenaki were out in the woods gathering food. They noticed a liquid dripping from a maple tree. They dipped their fingers in the liquid and tasted. The liquid was thick and sweet. These Abenaki shared their discovery and soon the entire village went to the woods to try this new food. They enjoyed it so much, that they were soon visiting every day.

One day, Gluskabe, an Abenaki spirit, visited the village and found it empty. His search for the villagers found them lying on the ground underneath the trees with their mouths open, drinking this syrup. He warned them that they were enjoying the syrup too much. Upon returning, he found them lying on their backs drinking the sweet liquid and getting lazy and overweight. Gluskabe decided to do something about this. He changed the liquid to be like water, but with a hint of sweetness. Gluskabe told them that if they wanted to make the syrup, they would have to collect it, boil it and work hard. And so it was that the process of sugaring began.