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The Versatility of Cedar
The cedar tree holds a significant place in the culture of the Coast Salish First Nations, including the Cowichan and Malahat people whose traditional territories are the location of Shawnigan Lake School. In recent weeks, students in Environmental Science 11 and the First Nations Language and Knowledge Sharing 360 program have been learning first-hand about cedar trees and their meaning to the local First Nations.
Environmental Science 11 students learned about the Indigenous practice of harvesting cedar bark (also known as cedar stripping) from Coast Salish artist Beau Wagner. Mr. Wagner, who has been carving for more than 30 years, used trees on the Shawnigan campus to demonstrate how local First Nations use centuries of wisdom to remove strips of bark from cedar trees for use in a range of items, while doing minimal damage to the trees. Culturally modified trees typically go on to live normal lives; the oldest living documented culturally modified tree in British Columbia dates to the 12th century.
The Coast Salish people have traditionally used all parts of the cedar tree to make everything from tools and everyday objects to ceremonial items, but the bark is the most versatile part. Two species of cedar are found on the West Coast – yellow cedar and western red cedar, and they have different uses: yellow cedar’s softer, pliable bark is typically used to make clothing and flexible materials, while red cedar is used to make canoes and structures.
Separately from Environmental Science 11 learning about cedar stripping, the First Nations Language and Knowledge Sharing 360 group led by Language Teacher and Knowledge Keeper Ms. Siqultunaat Robertson has been weaving hats from cedar bark following the Coast Salish style, using prepared bark and special hat forms to get the unique shape right, following a traditional method that has been passed down through generations.
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful Pacific Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
