The techniques to alter these trees provide sustainable harvests, passed down through generations. Many tree species are used, but for northwest coastal tribes, the most common CMT is the western red cedar.
Cedar has provided — and continues to provide — materials for shelter, clothing, food gathering, transportation and spiritual activities.
I recognize some CMTs by long vertical triangular scars in their bark. The wide lower edge, cut a foot above the forest floor, tapers upward to a point 25 feet above the ground. The scar covers only part of the tree's circumference, so trees continue to grow. Some trees have scars of different ages, telling me that the tree was harvested repeatedly, at long intervals, which assured its recovery.
The harvested inner bark is pliable but strong and is woven into mats, ropes, clothing, baskets, nets and ceremonial hats.
But it's not only the peoples of the Pacific Northwest who create CMTs. They are found wherever there are or have been forest-dwelling peoples. For example, in Utah, Basque sheep herders created "arborglyphs" — images and text carved into the bark of white-barked aspens. These date back to the 19th century.
CMTs also have legal significance. Because a tree’s age can be precisely recorded, these trees serve as testaments to occupancy when Indigenous rights are under discussion.
So, when you hike through an old-growth forest, be on the lookout for CMTs, visible evidence of the long, long term values of trees for people.
