Native Uses of Cedar

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Native Uses of Cedar

• Stephanie Peterson (Makah)
• Dwayne Martin (Tla-o-qui-aht)
• ESRM 310
• May 26, 2006

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Types of cedar

• Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata)
• Lower elevation
• More toxins in wood and bark
• Less likely to decay-rot resistant

• Alaska Yellow Cedar (Chmaecyparis nootkatensis)
• Higher elevation
• Less toxins
• Softer
• Pungent aroma
• Sometimes considered a higher quality bark

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Uses
Cedar for Natives here in the Pacific Northwest
is like the way that people see salmon as a sign
for its environment Cedar is, in a way, a
keystone species for Coastal Natives

• Bark
• Baskets/ Containers
• Rope
• Art and Ceremonial
• Household Items
• Clothes

• Wood
• Longhouses
• Canoes
• Ceremonial
• Weapons

• Roots
• Dyes
• Medicinal

Nothing went to waste and literally nothing could
not be made by Cedar
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Harvest of Wood

• Planks
• Take only a few from a tree
• Use of rocks for weights/leverage
• Use of mud/clay for splitting
• Could take a year to split

• Whole Trees
• Tend to look for wind fallen trees or root rot
• Cant harvest just any tree-spiritual
• Whatever you dont need or dont use, should be
  returned to where you got it

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Harvest of Bark

• Harvest in the spring

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Longhouses

• Planks made of Cedar because of the woods
  strength, resistance to decay, ability to produce
  straight, easy to use board

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Canoes
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Canoes

• All different types of canoes
• Size and shape depends on what it is for
• Typically and traditionally, made from single
  tree
• Due to low amount of Old Growth Trees available
  now then the adoption of strip-canoes has became
  popular
• Bailers and ropes made from cedar as well

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Canoes
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Ceremonial

• Ceremonial
• Regalia
• Headdresses

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Weaving
Kathey Ervin
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Art
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Culturally Modified Trees (CMTs)

• Caused by
• Stripping of bark
• Splitting for planks
• Present Importance
• Used to outline borders of Native Territories

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Other Trees that are commonly used by Natives

• red alder (Alnus rubra)
• Fuelwood, smoking fish, art, ceremonial, paddles,
  drums, tatoos, dyes
• Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia)
• Paddles, weapons
• Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla)
• Food/vitamins
• Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis)
• Food/Gum, fuelwood, weaving, medicine, sunblock

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Cultural Importance

• Transportation
• Support lifesystem elements
• Shelter/buildings
• Household accessories
• Signs/ totempoles
• Toys
• Art
• Jewelry