SigewigusSismo'qonapu
Pjila'si Welcome Bienvenue
Pjila'si Welcome Bienvenue
Since time immemorial, Indigenous Peoples of eastern Canada and the northeastern United States, including the Mi'gmaq, have harvested sap from maple trees to turn it into syrup. This sap, or sismo'qonapu, carries 46 nutrients essential to the life, growth, and protection of the tree from which it is taken, and the Mi'gmaq were already well aware of its high energy and nutritional value.
Among the Mi'gmaq of Gespe'gewa'gi, it is by observing the squirrels crunching the branches of the snawei (sugar maple) that the idea of tasting the sap was born. Under a "V" cut, a small piece of bone or concave wood was inserted into wegilat (bark) to drain sismo'qonapu in a basket of bark placed at the foot of the tree. For evaporation, large bark baskets full of sismo'qonapu were placed inside holes in the ground, and hot stones were plunged into them so that the liquid would heat up and thicken.
Sigewigus Tepgunset, or the spring moon, represented the beginning of the annual cycle of the Mi'gmaq way of life, during which sugar was produced for the coming year. Even today, we honor Sigewigus Tepgunset in our customs and traditions.
Our syrup is certified by the First Nations Identification.
The bear supports and protects entrepreneurs and First Nations communities in all spheres of economic development, in addition to allowing the authenticity of our products and services to be quickly recognized.
The bear footprint is not just a symbol. It is a movement that allows us to affirm our identity. It is also a protection, a way to show off and be recognized, with the greatest of pride. For non-Aboriginals, this will facilitate simple and concrete actions to participate in the reconciliation process on a daily basis.
The sun
to honor and highlight its importance in the making of maple syrup.
The Mi'gmaq Star
to communicate that this product is made by a First Nation
Dual Curve
as ''the symbol of life'', for the Mi'gmaq it represents plants, which had protective, healing and sacred properties for the indigenous peoples.
The Maple Leaf
to inform that this company works in the maple syrup industry.
The meaning of our logo
Sigewigus: Spring season. For the Mi'gmaq, this period is synonymous with renewal, celebration, and the beginning of a new annual cycle.
Traditional knowledge adapted to today's methods
It is to the Aboriginals that we owe the discovery of maple syrup. Our project aims to revive the ancestral traditions of making maple syrup. The Micmac Nation of Gespeg has been producing and consuming maple syrup for thousands of years and knows its virtues very well.
Even today, the Mi'gmaq honor Sigewigus Tepgunset in their customs and traditions by making maple syrup from seismo'qonapu. Naturally, the practices have been adapted to contemporary innovations and methods.
This is just the beginning!
The production of our maple syrup is only the beginning of the great adventure. Over the next few months, we will have the pleasure of adding many different maple products to our offer.
En wishing you enjoy tasting our beautiful culture!
