Culturally Modified Trees

From NarratingLandscapes

Last summer I embarked on a kayak adventure across the Browning Passage, just east of the Tofino shoreline. I was expecting a leisurely day on the water, but it turned out to be so much more. Apart from the abundance of wildlife we spotted, including seals, bald eagles, crabs, starfish, urchins (just to name a few), we also stumbled across some of the most magnificent trees I had ever seen. Our guide, and my good friend, Chris, took us for a hike on Meares Island. This is where I had my first encounter with a culturally modified tree. At the time, I had no idea trees like this were even given this title, much less why these huge Cedar trees had massive scars running the length of their trunk. Upon bringing this to Chris’ attention, he carefully and thoroughly explained to me that Cedars were, and still are, highly valued and widely used by many First Peoples of British Columbia. He described how the bark was peeled off in large strips, which were dried and then used to make various items and tools such as canoes, houses, baskets and adze handles. I found this very fascinating, but after our kayaking trip, I did not explore the subject any further, until now!

Culturally Modified Trees (CMTs) are defined as trees, which have been intentionally modified by aboriginal peoples as part of their traditional use of the forest and usually will exhibit cuts, striations and other markings which indicate the types of tools and technologies used to modify the trees. There are three main groups of CMTs which are primarily found in old growth cedar stands.

The first group of CMTs is used for bark stripping where the fibrous, soft, pliant wood and inner bark of the Western Red and/or Yellow cedar trees is highly valued for making clothing, ropes, blankets and other necessities. Cedar trees that have been stripped of their bark usually exhibit distinctive scars where the underlying wood is exposed in the areas where bark is removed. The two techniques used for bark stripping are either long and tapered or short and rectangular. The technique chosen depends on what the bark is being used for and the configuration of the tree; shape of the trunk, shape of the bark, quality of the bark, number of branches obstructing a continuous, long trunk and so on.

This image shows a tree that has been modified using the long and tapered technique. The short and rectangular technique is preferred for the removal of large slabs of outer bark from Western Red-cedars which is used as roofing material, covering canoes and fences.

The second group of CMTs are known as ‘Aboriginally-logged trees’, which are not always cut down, but rather left as standing “logged” trees. These trees are mainly modified by native people as part of the traditional procurement of logs, posts, planks, canoes, and other pieces of wood (Stryd and Feddema 1998, 9). Indigenous peoples are very careful not to fell and take a tree if it is not of the best quality. To determine the soundness of the heartwood and suitability of the tree for use, holes are made in the trunk and these trees are called “test-hole” trees. Felling a tree requires many people, several days and a tremendous amount of energy. If a tree falls over during a wind and the tree is salvageable and sound, it would be used.

The last recognized group of CMTs doesn’t have an official name, but includes cedar trees that have been modified for purposes other than bark and wood collection. The trees are used for kindling, pitch, and making tools such as adzes. Other uses include ceremonial and spiritual purposes, making trails, assert tree ownership, building bridges over streams, and support posts for shelters and food drying frames.

Culturally modified trees are of utmost importance in stressing the link between these archaeological treasures, their ancestors and living aboriginal culture (Stryd and Feddema 1998, 14). For First Nation Peoples of the West Coast, cedar trees as CMTs allow for a “‘living archaeology [that] presents a unique opportunity to get close to the activities of [their] ancestors in a live and dynamic setting’ and ‘to their people the spiritual effects of being in the footsteps of [their] ancestors is the primary significance of the site’” (Stryd and Feddema 1998, 14). CMTs are also important for passing on knowledge of Aboriginal peoples. The scarred trees are able to hint at the types of techniques used to fell these giant trees of the west coast. As stated in Stryd and Feddema’s (1998, 15) article, CMTs are instrumental for passing on knowledge of their culture to future generations. Not only are they good teaching aids, they hold knowledge of aboriginal peoples built up over thousands of years and are a window to past cultures, traditions, and histories. For non-native peoples, CMTs help the future of the forest industry by looking at past practices through CMT areas which in turn could help us sustain our forests today. In cases where oral traditions might fail or falter, CMTs help to continue or back up what might be lost through verbal transmission. There are strong connections between Culturally Modified Trees and living aboriginal culture.

Reference

Stryd, A. H. and Vikki Feddema. 1998. Sacred Cedar: The Cultural and Archaeological Significance of Culturally Modified Trees. <http://www.davidsuzuki.org>.

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