The Maple Syrup Tradition at Ishigamizaigan Camp

GTB to host second annual sugar bush event

The sun is shining (some days), and the sap is flowing—maple syrup season is here!

On March 13-14 and March 20-21, 2026, the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (GTB) will host the second annual Ishigamizaigan (Sugar Bush) Camp to showcase the Anishinaabe tradition of harvesting maple sap and producing syrup and sugar. The event is open to the public from 10am-6pm during the four days of programming.

Anishinaabe people have processed maple sap into syrup and sugar for thousands of years, and strengthening and expanding this traditional practice is an important step towards reestablishing tribal food sovereignty, according to William Derouin, the agriculture manager for the GTB.

We visited the GTB Natural Resources office in Peshawbestown to speak with Derouin about the upcoming event, the significance of maple syrup and sugar production, and the work the GTB is doing to move the community toward food sovereignty.

What Is Sugar Bush Camp?

A “sugar bush” is a stand of maple trees in a forest used for maple sap harvesting. Sugar maple trees are tapped for a brief period in early spring, when the daytime temperatures start to rise above freezing.

Maple sap has a watery consistency, so it must be boiled down for many hours before it becomes maple syrup, or granulated maple sugar. Boiling the sap traditionally requires long hours of work and patience; about 40 gallons of sap are needed to produce just 1 gallon of maple syrup.

Maple sugar was and is an important product for indigenous peoples in northern North America. It is used to preserve and sweeten food and provides crucial calories in the lean winter and early spring months. It even has some medicinal and ceremonial uses that have been passed down through generations. Native communities would set up a sugar bush camp for several weeks each spring, and the GTB is continuing the tradition today.

In 2023, the GTB received an initial grant from the USDA to promote the domestic maple syrup industry.

“The grant [application] we authored to USDA really focused on strengthening and promoting the Anishinaabe sugar bush traditions throughout the region,” says Derouin. With the funding from this and subsequent grants, the GTB was able to ramp up the production and promotion of these events.

The GTB has also made significant upgrades to its community sugar bush camp, with a new pavilion, enclosed lodge, and modernized sugar shack.

“We keep adding to our set-up every year; it’s just amazing,” says Derouin. “The building that has our modern evaporator in it now was used for storing fishing nets for a decade or two; it was really just a shed.”

Re-establishing Food Sovereignty

The GTB Ishigamizaigan Camp is co-hosted by GTB’s Cultural Department and its Agriculture and Food Sovereignty Department, created in 2019. Food sovereignty is the right of a people to control their food/agricultural systems, including the production of healthy and culturally appropriate food using sustainable methods.

According to the GTB website, “In a bright future envisioned by the GTB councilors and members who worked to establish this new department, the Tribe is able to produce food and food products for the tribal community.”

Derouin says the GTB is optimistic about achieving this goal, and that their efforts to increase production and awareness of the sugar bush tradition is a big step forward.

“We live in a really agriculturally diverse area… We would like to see a day where GTB is able to provide a good portion of the food that goes into its food outlets, like restaurants. Starting with [providing food for] our government programs like weekly meals for Tribal Elders, the daycare here, and annual events—that’s how we are getting started at chipping away toward that goal,” he says.

Along with the sugar bush camp expansion, the Agriculture and Food Sovereignty Department started a program to provide sugar bush kits to tribal families so they can harvest and produce their own maple products.

With the help of USDA grant funding and partnering with local nonprofits, the GTB has also had a major impact on combating food insecurity throughout our region, with a special focus on providing indigenous foods like bison, wild rice, and local fish.

“GTB has been the largest purchaser of food for food pantries in Northwest Lower Michigan over the last three or four years,” Derouin says.

A Day of Learning, Community Building, and Fun

Attendees of the 2026 GTB Ishigamizaigan Camp will experience firsthand the traditional and modern methods of maple sugar production…and learn a few other things along the way.

There will be workshops on sewing mittens, carving paddles for stirring maple sugar, birchbark basket making, and Anishinaabe storytelling. Attendees will get to sample snacks like maple sugar candied nuts, and a meal is provided for workshop attendees.

The event is completely free of charge and open to the general public, but Derouin recommends you RSVP soon since spots for the workshops are filling quickly. The event is open to all ages, and is especially fun for (well supervised) children. Dress warmly; sugar bush camp activities are mostly outdoors.

“Come and learn some of these traditions, and even if you [harvest maple sap] at home, there are great ways to honor some of the traditions… like showing respect for the trees by knowing when to tap, when to pull your taps, and not tapping too much,” Derouin says. It's also important to honor the seasonal signs; during years with mild winters, it’s a good idea not to tap the trees at all.

The GTB sugar bush camp is located at 3505 N Putnam Rd. in Suttons Bay. If you would like to attend a workshop, RSVP by emailing Derouin directly at William.Derouin [at] gtb-nsn.gov. You can get more information at facebook.com/GrandTraverseBand, gtbindians.org/agricultural.asp, and gtbindians.org/events.asp.

View On Our Website