What sweeteners did Indians have available other than natural semi-sweet berries and fruits?

What sweeteners did Indians have available other than natural semi-sweet berries and fruits?

Stephen Frazier
Raleigh, NC

As far as we can tell, Native Americans weren’t “hooked” on sweets. Honeybees were imported from Europe in the early 1600s and wild honey quickly became a favorite sweetener. Also, maple sugar from the sugar maple trees was available. The usual sweetener was from wild berries, dried and fresh fruit. A food called pemmican was made from grinding dried fish or meat mixed with dried fruit or berries. This was a tasty, high-energy food source.