Chapters 7.7
7.7- muskrat
Griffin McFaul , University of Guelph, Canada
Suggested citation for this chapter.
McFaul,G. (2022) Mammals. In The Student Encyclopedia of Canadian Indigenous Foods. Editor, M.N. Raizada, University of Guelph, Canada. http://www.firstnationsfoods.org/
Product Information
The muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) is a semi aquatic mammal that lives in wetlands and marshes (Miller, 2018). They are native to North America, specifically Canada and the United States. The large rodent resembles a beaver but is smaller with a distinctively different tail. Muskrats are adapted for swimming, spending most of their time in the water and living in either ground burrows that are accessed underwater or partially submerged domes of foliage (Miller, 2018). The main agricultural product of the muskrat is the fur, with the flesh having some value as well compared to other furbearing species. While the fur is not the highest quality, it has a lot of uses (Lantz, 1910). The name muskrat comes from the Algonquian name ‘Musquash’ and was adopted by Europeans when coming to the new world (“Definition of musquash”, 2021).
Historical use of muskrat
Muskrats have been hunted and trapped, as a source of fur and food, using a variety of different methods by the Indigenous peoples of North America. An example would be how the Southwestern Chippewa people used baited traps to catch muskrats (Ritzenthaler, 1978). Once caught, the Southwestern Chippewa would skin the muskrat for its fur to make traditional clothing and prepare the flesh to be eaten (Thommesen H., 1994). Muskrat was cooked several different ways including drying or smoking for later consumption. An example of a cooking method would be how the Upper Tanana people hung the meat over the fire until all leftover fur was burnt off and the skin was roasted and only then was the muskrat boiled (McKennan, 1959). At the beginning of European colonization, the fur trade was an integral part of the new world economy (Lantz, 1910). The quality of muskrat fur did not surpass the most expensive and sought-after furbearers, but the quantity and variety of uses made the muskrat an incredibly valuable agricultural product. In the early 1900s, muskrat had the second most skins sold out of all animals, only being surpassed by the European rabbit. In 1905 over 5,000,000 muskrat skins were sold in London alone (Lantz, 1910).
Significance to indigenous peoples
The muskrat is quite an important animal for Indigenous people across North America. There are creation stories from many different tribes that say that the muskrat was a brave and humble creature . A creation story from many Indigenous cultures that has been passed down though oral tradition throughout the years is the story of turtle island. In the story, the earth is flooded with only some water animals surviving. The animals all try to swim under the water to grab dirt to make land once again. All animals fail except for the muskrat that dies in some variations of the tale. With this dirt the land is grown again. An example of the muskrat in the creation story of different Indigenous people can be shown in the creation story of the Tsuut'ina or Sarcee story of creation (1980) :
There was no land, only water. Old Man called to Muskrat and said, "I am going to make land." He gave Muskrat a bit of dirt and said, "Be very careful with this. Run around it, and as it grows larger, keep running around it."
So Muskrat ran around it, but the dirt did not grow. Old Man said, "I know the trouble. I shall have to get different dirt." He sent Muskrat to dive into the depths of the water and said, "Try hard to get a bit of mud from the bottom." Muskrat dived three times and came up with open hands. The fourth time he touched bottom and got some mud under his nails.
Old Man took the mud, rolled it in his hands and it began to swell. When it was as large as he could hold, he called Muskrat and said, "Keep going around this earth. Do not stop, because it must be a large earth. There will be people -- people of many kinds. I want them to love one another and to love this earth which I am making for them." Muskrat ran round and round the swelling earth which became larger and larger. Soon, it was as large as Old Man wanted… (The Sarcee story of creation, 1980)
In these tales the muskrat is so prevalent because lots of these stories are earth-diver myths (Turtle Island, 2018). These myths show the beginning of the world and use these water dwelling creatures to connect the water to the land. Often there is a great creator or supernatural being that accompany these tales.
Location
The muskrat can be found on the continent of North America from northern Canada to the southern United States (Miller, 2018). Muskrats are not found in the very far northern regions of Canada because of the intense cold or past the United States – Mexico border because of the heat and lack of habitat. There are no muskrats in Florida or southern Georgia because its wetlands are inhabited by the round tail muskrat which is a different species than the Ondatra zibethicus. The round tail muskrat is adapted to life in the Floridian everglades, unlike the common muskrat Muskrats spend a large portion of their life in the water and reside in either ground burrows that are accessed underwater or partially submerged domes of foliage (Miller, 2018).
Muskrat fur
The fur of muskrats is very useful and can suit a variety of needs. Historically animal furs have been a necessity for humans surviving in cold climates, but today they are often used more as a fashion statements. The largest demand for muskrat fur occurred in the 1900s, when muskrat was being marketed as ‘Hudson Seal’ (Shaw, 1927). Muskrat fur was durable and cheap compared to other furs of the time and the demand rose. Muskrat fur can be fashioned into hats, jackets, slippers or basically anything you need to keep you warm. To prepare the fur, the muskrat is first skinned, fleshed, then stretched. This product is stored and sold to be processed into an article of clothing (“NMSU: How to Prepare Pelts”, 2012).
Preparation and consumption
After a successful hunt, the animal needed to be prepared for consumption and materials. The process of disassembling a carcass is as follows: the animal is laid on it back before being skinned, the skinned hide is set aside to dry. Next, the limbs are dislocated and the ribs, as well as any other major bones, are removed. Finally, the meat is removed and set aside. As previously stated, the People of the Plains sought bison as a primary resource, they used bison hide to make a variety of materials. Resources include clothing (such as hats, coats, blankets, leggings, boots, and gloves) to create shelter such as tents or tipis, bags, cushion or covers (Traditional Animal Foods, n.d.) (Olson, W., 2013) (Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada, 2018). Hide may have also been used for other household decorative accessories. Hooves and horns could be transformed into utensils; tails could be made into fly swatters; hair could be woven into ropes or stuff pillows; their bones could be constructed into tools or weapons (Traditional Animal Foods, n.d.). Parts of the body which were consumed could include muscle, fat, bone, internal organs, skin, blood, stomach and intestine contents (Cunfer, G. & Waiser, B., 2016). A few common ways the meat was consumed was by roasting, boiling, broiling, and drying to keep it stored. To store, meat had to be cut into strips then hung around a fire (Traditional Animal Foods, n.d.). A common traditional food item which bison meat continues to be kept stored as is pemmican. Pemmican is pulverized dried meat mixed with fat and berries (Traditional Animal Foods, n.d.). If meat was roasted, it was roasted on skewers over an open fire or earth fire - this process sometimes took a couple days (Traditional Animal Foods, n.d.).
Muskrat meat
Muskrat meat, while being tender and tasty, is a high source of iron, protein, and B vitamins (Muskrat Environmental Health, 2016). While muskrat meat has never been a mainstream consumer product, it has been eaten and enjoyed by the Indigenous people of North America and frontiersmen through the years. Muskrat was eaten in a variety of different ways. Every method began with the muskrat being skinned, and during the skinning, the musk glands of the muskrat were removed (Dozier, 2011). After that, anything is fair game with different types of muskrat meals including fried muskrat, wine-fried muskrat, smothered muskrat, baked muskrat, layered muskrat and corn, pickled muskrat, muskrat pie, muskrat with tomato sauce, muskrat patties, muskrat salad and stewed muskrat liver. Traditionally, Indigenous cooking methods varied. For immediate consumption, muskrat meat was either roasted, boiled or both (McClellan, 1987). A common practice of Indigenous people was drying or smoking muskrat to preserve for later consumption. The brain, head, tail, liver, and skull were also consumed by Indigenous peoples (Farkas CS, 1987).
Muskrats today
Muskrat is no longer a staple dish in the diet of North Americans. Nevertheless, it remains a healthy source of protein, iron, and B vitamins for those looking to expand their taste palette. Muskrats can be purchased from exotic meat companies or hunted in wetlands if you are looking to get your own muskrat fix. There is little economic demand for muskrat meat, except for niche taste testers and Indigenous locals (“Exotic Meat Market”, 2021).
Benefits
Benefits of the muskrat include the nutritional value that muskrat meat can provide, especially as an alternate source of protein to traditional less healthy red meat products (Muskrat Environmental Health, 2016). The fur of muskrats can serve as winter clothing protecting people from the cold in northern areas. The growing of the almost nonexistent muskrat industry can help indigenous people who live in isolated northern communities make money and can help improve the conditions in these communities with increased economic activity. Muskrats are not an endangered species and are known to consume agricultural crops (Miller, 2018). If done sustainably there should be no problem with keeping a steady supply of muskrats, while also protecting farmers fields. Often when muskrats forage for vegetation, this can negatively affect marsh viability harming other creatures in the habitat such as waterfowl. In this scenario hunting muskrat can help other species in wetland habitats. A muskrat yields a pelt and a pound of meat per animal caught (Nelson RK, 1973). When caught in significant numbers, muskrats can provide a large amount of meat and fur.
Limitations
Muskrats, as an agricultural product, certainly have their limitations. The perception of muskrats being similar to rats is not very good for people wanting to try the new meat because rats are seen as dirty and diseased animals. A difficult part of starting any large-scale muskrat farming, would be their habitat. Wetlands are conservation land, and any “Development, Interference or Alteration” is strictly prohibited (Conservation Authorities Act - Section 28 Regulations // Conservation Ontario, 2015). This would make the trapping of muskrat significantly more challenging and inefficient.
References
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2.Common Muskrat - Ondatra zibethicus - NatureWorks. (2021). Nhpbs.org. https://nhpbs.org/natureworks/muskrat.htm
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5.Dozier, H. L. (2011). Recipes for cooking muskrat meat. Wildlife Leaflet; 229; U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service.
6.Exotic Meat Market. (2021). Exoticmeatmarkets.com. https://www.exoticmeatmarkets.com/Muskrat-Meat-Muskrat-Meat-near-me-Buy-Muskrat-Meat-s/220.htm
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