Maple Syrup
Maple syrup holds deep roots in the cultural traditions and knowledge of Indigenous peoples of North America. Long before European settlers arrived, Indigenous communities such as the Abenaki, Haudenosaunee (Iroquois), and Anishinaabe developed the practice of tapping sugar maple trees to harvest their sweet sap. Known as "Sinzibuckwud" in the Algonquin language, meaning "drawn from trees," maple syrup was more than a source of nourishment—it was a sacred gift from nature. The sap was often gathered during early spring, when the trees began to thaw, marking a seasonal renewal and a time to honor the reciprocal relationship with the land.
In many Indigenous traditions, maple syrup was revered not just as a food but as a form of ancestral medicine. The sap was believed to carry the tree's essence, offering healing properties and spiritual nourishment. It was used in ceremonies to purify the body and spirit and was often consumed as a tonic to promote strength and vitality after long winters. Rich in minerals and antioxidants, maple syrup and sap were also used to treat ailments, restore hydration, and provide energy, underscoring their role as a natural remedy in traditional healing practices.
Beyond its practical uses, the process of making maple syrup was deeply ceremonial, fostering a sense of community and connection to the natural world. Storytelling, songs, and rituals often accompanied the tapping and boiling of sap, passing down knowledge and spiritual significance through generations. This practice reflected a broader Indigenous worldview of stewardship, gratitude, and harmony with nature. Today, as maple syrup continues to hold a cherished place in North American culture, it serves as a testament to the ingenuity and reverence Indigenous peoples have always shown for the land and its gifts.
At Roots to Sky Sanctuary, we are thrilled to be stepping into our third year of small-batch maple syrup production, a journey rooted in learning, growth, and deep respect for the land. What began as a humble initiative has blossomed into a meaningful practice, with approximately 500 taps now set in our sugar maple trees. Each season, we are learning the art of tree tapping, sap collection, and syrup boiling, gaining a greater appreciation for this age-old tradition with every step.
As a boutique producer, our focus remains on quality, sustainability, and honoring the wisdom of the land. While we are just getting started, this project embodies our commitment to connecting with nature, fostering community, and embracing practices that nurture both the earth and the spirit. Over the coming years we are excited to share the sweet results of this labor of love with our community and supporters!
Follow Us on Insta
Over at the Sanctuary the leaves 🍁 have been turning and falling to the ground. Here is a view of the Heart House from the front of the pond. The Heart House can sleep up to twenty-two people in beds. This is the space where we host many guests and groups for our dynamic fellowship programming. If you are looking for a venue to host an upcoming event, retreat, or training we can send you more information. Hit us with a DM!
🍁✨
On indigenous people’s day we remembers Falling in love and being again in right relationship with the air, water, fire, earth, and ether. In eternal gratitude to the land beneath our feet.
The Earth we steward at Roots to Sky is at the mouth of Patawomeck and the Seneca Rocks is the traditional unceded land of the Shawandasse Tula people. The name means Southwind Earth in the Algonquin language.
Our circle gets tighter as we make new relatives and weave in our old ones here at Roots to Sky Sanctuary. Listening to Mother Earth as she whispers.
#indigenousland #fourdirections #medicinewheel #heartspace #landjustice #landback #peacemaking #listening #connections
#Reflecting back on some of the wonderful course collaborations with @jhaferd from Spring 2022. Thanks to the students at City College @spitzerschool_ccny, the incredible team @rootstoskysanctuary, for the ongoing work of “Restorying the Potomac”, which began a year ago with the Sp ‘22 studio.
During the three day site visit, undergraduate design students worked to bring undervalued stories of this land to life.
Stay tuned for more photos, and updates from the output of the RTP Fellows!
#Repost @jhaferd
・・・
RESTORYING THE POTOMAC, PART 1
Faculty : JEROME HAFERD @jhaferd
Restoring the Potomac is a land-based research, restorying, exhibition and ‘re-monumenting’ project being undertaken in collaboration with the Roots to Sky Collective in the Appalachian Mountains. The project seeks to generate new forms of living archive, activism and interpretive practice connecting and transecting the modern day and pre-colonial Potomac River watershed. The first in a multi-year endeavor, Spring ‘22 advanced studio engaged the Land as a protagonist for design : to produce spatial scholarship and propose architectural interventions of memorialization, cultivation, and stewardship beginning at two critical sites : The Fairfax Stone and the Roots to Sky Sanctuary. This work challenges prevailing modes of architecture, and inspire us to think at the scale of the stone, monument, regional, and planetary.
Jerome Haferd is a licensed architect and educator based in Harlem, NY. He is co-founder of the award-winning design and research practice BRANDT : HAFERD. His writing on archaeology, Blackness, and speculation has recently been published in Log and Project journals. Jerome is assistant professor at CCNY, and conducts course collaborations with Yale, Columbia and elsewhere. He is also a core initiator of Dark Matter U. Jerome received his M. Arch at Yale and his B.S. from Ohio State. He has worked in the offices of OMA/Rem Koolhaas and Bernard Tschumi Architects. BRANDT : HAFERD are 2020 AIA New Practices New York recipients. Haferd was winner of the 2020 Studio Prize (CCNY).
.
#Architecture #AdvancedStudio #CCNY #appalachia
#fairfaxstonemonument #potomacriver
In July 2023, Antonio Carassco one of our esteemed Humanities in Place Fellows led a ceremonious weekend for our community. We had nearly 70 people come to sit around the fire, share stories, make music, and heal with the land. These few shots were part of our opening circle ⭕️ in front of the Sanctuary pond.
***
#humanities #landstewards #RootsToSky #buildingsanctuary #mellonfoundationfellows #humanitiesinplace #community #growtogether #appalachia #westvirginia #mountainscape #circleup #tendingthefire @xocoyotlantonio
We are ending out an incredible summer of Roots to Sky programming! We couldn’t be more thrilled by the events and retreats, rooted in healing, humanities, regenerative farming, and the arts that we were able to host at the land 🥁
As we prepare for the fall we will be sharing some flashbacks and special moments from 2023. This photo was taken during the opening ceremony and drum invocation for Beauty in the Backyard a creative arts healing retreat that brought over 350 people to the Sanctuary.
We have incredible fellowship programming still coming up in the last few months of the year. Check the link in our bio to learn more about the upcoming events!
🌎🌻
📸 @zoophoriaphotography
Hello! Welcome to the instagram account for the Roots To Sky Sanctuary Family!
We are excited to share our mission and work with you all via this platform.
More soon…!
-RTSS
© 2026 Roots to Sky Sanctuary
Nestled between Thomas, West Virginia
and Oakland, Maryland
Nestled between Thomas, West Virginia
and Oakland, Maryland
