Iskigamizigan: The Sap-Boiling Process
Description
Saturday, April 8, 2023
9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Tuition: $60 Materials: $15
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For over 800 years the ininaatigoog (sugar maple trees) of this region have been tapped by the Anishinaabeg people in order to produce sugar. In this class we will look at the traditional harvest, teachings, stories, and process of boiling sugar maple sap in order to make syrup and sugar. Participants will take part in a hands-on camp and gain knowledge in the ways of preserving this important nutrient from our land. In addition, we will enjoy a traditional feast as a part of the program. |
About the Instructor, Ryan Bajan: Boozhoo, Ryan Nindizhinikaaz. Minisigabo Nindigoo Ojibwemon. Makwa Ninoondem. I have been teaching in formal settings since I was 14 years old. With a bachelors degree in Special Ed, a Masters in Education, and a MN Teaching license in American Indian Language and Culture, I have spent the last 16 years in the classroom and in communities leading all sorts of coursework. I am a tribally endorsed Ojibwe Language and Culture Instructor, by Bois Forte Band of Chippewa. I have extensive work in the field mastering skills in Indigenous harvest, lifestyle, crafts, arts, and music. I serve as the Ojibwe Language and Culture teacher at Nett Lake School, as a contracted culture teacher for Bois Forte programs and 1854 Treaty Authority, and provide programming throughout the state in land-based teachings.
Honoring our relationship to the land, our first relative, is an essential part of my process. I have devoted much time to researching traditional learning processes with steady access to elders in order to gain knowledge on pre-colonization techniques and teachings of the Anishinaabeg, Crow, and several other tribal nations.
