Cedar: Tree of Life to the Northwest Coast Indians

192 Pages·1995·17.874 MB·English

by  Stewart, Hilary

C E D AR
Raven and the First Men, a carving in yellow cedar by Bill Reid,
Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbia
C E D AR
TREE OF LIFE TO THE NORTHWEST COAST INDIANS
HILARY STEWART
with drawings by the author
Douglas & Mclntyre
Vancouver/Toronto
University of Washington Press
Seattle and London
Copyright © 1984 by Hilary Stewart
First paperback printing 1995
07 08 09 10 11 12 11 10 9 8
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in
any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of the publisher or a licence from The Canadian
Copyright Licensing Agency (Access Copyright). For a copyright licence, visit www.accesscopyright.ca or
call toll free to 1-800-893-5777.
Douglas & Mclntyre Ltd.
2323 Quebec Street, Suite 201
Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada V5T 4s7
www.douglas-mcintyre.com
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Stewart, Hilary, 1924-
Cedar
Bibliography: p.
ISBN-13: 978-1-55054-406-0 • ISBN-IO: 1-55054-406-3
1. Cedar—Northwest Coast of North America. 2. Indians of North America—Northwest Coast of North
America. I. Title.
E78^78574 1984 634.9'7568 C84-091223-4
Published simultaneously in the United States by
University of Washington Press
p.o. Box 50096
Seattle, WA 98145-5096
www.washington.edu/uwpress/
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Stewart, Hilary.
Cedar: tree of life to the Northwest Indians.
Bibliography: p.
Includes index.
1. Indians of North America—Northwest coast of North America—Industries. 2. Cedar. I. Reid, William,
1920-II. Title.
E78.N78S762 1984 674'.089970795 84-15156
ISBN-13: 978-0-295-97448-4• ISBN-IO: 0-295-97448-6
Editing by Saeko Usukawa
Design by Barbara Hodgson
Typeset by Ronalds Printing
Cover photograph by Derik Murray, artifacts courtesy of University of British Columbia Museum of
Anthropology and private collections
Printed and bound in Canada by Friesens
Printed on acid-free paper
Published with assistance from the British Columbia Heritage Trust
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the British Columbia
Arts Council, the Province of British Columbia through the Book Publishing Tax Credit, and the
Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP) for our
publishing activities.
To those who know and respect
the spirit of the cedar

C O N T E N TS
Foreword 8 Processing 123
Acknowledgements 10 Basketry and Other Weaving 128
Introduction 12 Matting 136
Reference Keys 14 Clothing 141
Cordage 148
PART 1 PEOPLE OF THE CEDAR 17 Shredded and Soft-shredded Bark Uses 153
PART 2 CEDAR: THE TREE 21 PART 5 CEDAR: THE WITHES 161
Botanical Description 21 Gathering and Preparing 161
Early Evidence 26 Ropes 163
Legends 27 Lashing and Sewing 165
Other Uses 167
PART 3 CEDAR: THE WOOD 29
The Woodworker and His Tools 29 PART 6 CEDAR: THE ROOTS 171
Technologies 36 Gathering and Preparing 171
Canoes 48 Basketry 174
Houses and Other Structures 60 Other Uses 177
Carved Poles, Posts and Figures 75
Steambent Wood 84 PART 7 CEDAR: SPIRITUAL REALMS 179
Planks and Boards 92 Beliefs and Taboos 179
Other Everyday Uses 96 Rituals 180
Other Ceremonial Uses 104 Healing 180
Prayers 181
PART 4 CEDAR: THE BARK 113
Gathering 113 Bibliography 184
Unprocessed Bark Uses 117 Index 188
F O R E W O RD
Almost twenty years ago, when I was somewhat Beautiful in itself, with a magnificent flared base taper-
younger, and could perhaps be forgiven, I wrote about ing suddenly to a tall straight trunk wrapped in red-
the west coast cedar in prose so purple tinged it might dish brown bark, like a great coat of gentle fur, grace-
have been considered poetry if it had had a hint of the fully sweeping boughs, soft feathery fronds of grey-
discipline and control so necessary to that most struc- green needles.
tured of all the arts. Huge, some of these cedars, five hundred years of
Today, in response to Hilary Stewart's wonderful book slow growth, towering from their massive bases. The
on the subject, I looked again at that unseemly, extrava- wood is soft, but of a wonderful firmness and, in a
gant outpouring, but, having spent many of the interven- good tree, so straight-grained it will split true and clean
ing years in the gentle, aromatic presence of those cedars, into forty-foot planks, four inches thick and three feet
I find that I can't bring myself to change a word, except wide, with scarcely a knot.
perhaps to add a few hyperbolic adverbs and adjectives Across the grain it cuts clean and precise. It is light
in which the English language abounds. in weight and beautiful in color, reddish brown when
I refrained from that excess, but ask you to bear with new, silvery grey when old. It is permeated with natu-
me in recalling my inadequate but sincere tribute to the ral oils that make it one of the longest lasting of all
cedar, inspired by the dignified generosity with which it woods, even in the damp of the Northwest Coast cli-
has sacrificed its beauty to make my little creations, a few mate.
of which may in a small way compensate for that When steamed it will bend without breaking. It will
sacrifice. make houses and boats and boxes and cooking pots. Its
bark will make mats, even clothing. With a few bits of
Oh, the cedar tree! sharpened stone and antler, with some beaver teeth
If mankind in his infancy had prayed for the perfect and a lot of time, with later on a bit of iron, you can
substance for all material and aesthetic needs, an build from the cedar tree the exterior trappings of one
indulgent god could have provided nothing better. of the world's great cultures.
8
That is what I said about the cedar, giving a few of its real giant and gives us a true account of how well it
possible uses and so showing its importance to the peo- served our precursors on the coast. If we will only treat it
ples who, until a few short years ago, ruled the Northwest with the respect in which they held it, the great west
Coast. coast cedar will always be with us, to serve with the same
Now Hilary Stewart has performed the much more regal philanthropy it always has, as a powerfully beauti-
difficult feat of telling of the wonder of the cedar tree ful asset to our coastal vistas when alive, and as a source
with the same loving awe experienced by us for whom it of some of the finest materials for making objects of use
forms a constant part of our lives, and at the same time and beauty.
explores extensively every aspect of this marvellous arbo- Bill Reid
9
A C K N O W L E D G E M E N TS
During the three years and more that it has taken to put and answering my queries, and to paleobotanist Richard
this book together, a good number of people have given Hebda for important insights into the antiquity of the
generously of their time, knowledge and expertise in a cedar tree. I am indebted to Laurence C. Brown, profes-
broad range of subjects. Their warm support and enthusi- sor of metallurgical engineering at the University of Brit-
asm for my work have been really encouraging. ish Columbia, for his special interest and expertise in test-
My warmest thanks to the people unnamed here who ing the strengths of a selection of cedar withe and bark
added directly or indirectly to the enrichment of these samples and ropes.
pages, including those, wishing to remain anonymous, To Bill Reid, my thanks for giving from the storehouse
who loaned me items from their private collections. My of his knowledge to help fill the gaps in mine. Particular
thanks also to John Hauberg, Bill and Marty Holm, Neil thanks and appreciation to Bill Holm for his thorough
Smith and Shyamali Tan for kindly allowing me to use and meticulous checking of the manuscript, drawings
choice pieces from their collections. Some items drawn. and photographs, as well as for correcting my errors,
from auction catalogues are in collections that I have not answering my questions and adding valuable informa-
been able to trace, but I wish to extend my thanks to their tion.
owners through this page. I am indebted to Ulli Steltzer for her generosity in pro-
For their input on the archaeological aspects of this viding several expressive photographs of Indian artists at
book, my appreciation goes to archaeologists Val work. To my friend and fellow writer Paula Gustafson,
Patenaude and Kathryn Bernick. For dragging me who proffered research and photographs, my very grate-
through the underbrush in search of culturally modified ful thanks. Special thanks also to my good friend, col-
trees on distant islands, and for his interest and collabo- league and kindred spirit Joy Inglis, anthropologist, for
ration, I am grateful to James Haggarty, archaeologist at her warm support and shared discoveries.
the British Columbia Provincial Museum in Victoria. My Canadian, American and overseas museums played a
thanks to Marcus Bell, Head of Environmental Studies at major role in providing me with access to information
the University of Victoria, for checking the botanical data about the many cedar products illustrated here and gave
10