Episode 3. Seasonal Variability.
Released April 21, 2025. Back to more Climate Comic Strips.
Detailed Description
As winters grow shorter and summers grow longer, seasonal conditions are also becoming more variable from year to year. More unpredictable conditions can impact seasonal traditions, such as sugar maple sap harvesting, in the land of the Menominee.
Menominee Language
Sūpomāhkwan-Kēsoq - Sugar-Making Moon / April
sōpomāhtekok - sugar maple trees
sōpomāhtekok-sēwākametǣw - maple syrup / maple sugar
Mamāqcetawak - Menominee people / Movers
Enǣmaehkiwak - Thunderers
ohsām - boil
Comic Strip Text Transcription
Sūpomāhkwan-Kēsoq, meaning Sugar-Making Moon, is the month known as April.
Yellow-bellied sapsucker: “Sugar season is shifting. We’re tapping for sap in lots of different moons.”
But in recent years, sugar maple trees have been ready for tapping in February.
Harvester: “We might have one good week to gather sap this season.”
The trees are responding to warmer and more variable seasonal temperatures from year to year.
Yellow-bellied sapsucker: “I wonder if Mamāqcetawak see how sugar season is shifting over many moons.”
Sugarmakers are observing the changes, listening to the trees, and adapting to continue providing maple syrup and sugar for their communities.
Elder: “Sugar season is so important. It was good medicine after a harsh winter. We’ll see what Enǣmaehkiwak have to say.”
Credits/Usage
This image is free to download and use with attribution to the College of Menominee Nation - Sustainable Development Institute.
Script co-written by Jennifer Gauthier, Nicholas Schwitzer, Sara Smith, and Allison Scott. Maple design by Jennifer Gauthier. Art by Nicholas Schwitzer. Funding provided by the Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center. Created in partnership by the College of Menominee Nation - Sustainable Development Institute, Indigenous Climate Resilience Network, and Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center.
The content of this comic cannot be fed into or used by any artificial intelligence program for any use whatsoever. Any violation of this infringes the copyrights held individually by the creative team (Smith, Scott, Gauthier, and Schwitzer) and the institutions (College of Menominee Nation - Sustainable Development Institute, Indigenous Climate Resilience Network, and Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center). All violations are an infringement on our creative work. This statement applies to any and all digital and physical copies of this comic.