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Thousands
of years ago - long before wise King Solomon built his famous Temple from
the cedars of Lebanon - The North American Aboriginal people along the lush,
mist-drenched North Pacific Coast used tall, majestic cedars as a mainstay
of their culture. They split wide boards of cedar for their shelters and
tribal long-houses, and for their burial coffins. They fashioned dug-out
canoes from sections of cedar trees. They wove the stringy bark into
blankets and clothing, and used the aromatic cedar boughs for bedding. Their
most spectacular use of cedar, however, was the distinctive carved totem
poles - weird and grotesque obelisks commemorating long-past tribal events.
The Aboriginal people used these gigantic trees in many aspects of their
culture. The trees were felled and used as wood for their homes, and their
coffins. Canoes were constructed by digging out the trunk. The most sacred
function of the cedars was when it was carved into a totem pole, and held a
magical place in their tribal ceremonies. It is no wonder that the cedar
tree became known as the tree of life, for they used it in every aspect of
their lives.
Because of it's importance to
them, the Aboriginal people called these cedars "trees of life".
Cedar is actually a member of the pine
family. These trees are naturally found in North America, and they are
native to the mountainous regions of Asia and North Africa. The Western
red cedar is knows as the Thunja plicata. Cedar is highly resistant
to weathering, and will last many decades outdoors without being susceptible
to rotting and decay. Cedar can be left unfinished and untreated. The
natural weathering process will transform this beautiful wood into a
pleasant gray color. To maintain the original rich color of the wood, it is
necessary to us a protective coating. |
History of Cedar
