Cedar: Tree of Life to the Northwest Coast Indians | Hilary Stewart

Hilary Stewart

Cedar has been central to Northwest Coast Indigenous life for thousands of years. From canoes and homes to baskets, clothing, and ceremonial objects, every part of the rot-resistant tree was skillfully used. Inner bark was woven into mats and garments, roots into watertight baskets, and the wood carved into poles and masks rich with meaning.

Honoured as a source of life, healing, and protection, cedar was respectfully known as the long-life maker and life giver. This book brings together oral history, early accounts, and detailed illustrations to explore the cultural, spiritual, and practical importance of the “Tree of Life.”

Anecdotes, oral history and the accounts of early explorers, traders and missionaries highlight the text of Cedar. Hilary Stewart's 550 drawings and a selection of 50 photographs depict how the people made and used the finished products of the incomparable tree of life -- the cedar.

Publisher: Douglas & McIntyre