Western Red Cedar: Healing Tree

Western red cedar has been revered forNorth American Indian tribes. Principally, they
thousands of years. Its versatility made the treeutilized two fundamental techniques for extracting
essential to Native people, prompting them tothe cedar's elixirs. The some extracts were
place it as a central part of their lives. The cedargotten by boiling the parts in water and straining
tree represented the visible and invisible forces ofthe liquor, or parts were steeped as tea for
life. They recognized the tree fed with the help ofinfusion. It was these elixirs from powdered
fungi from the nutrients in the soil. The treesleaves that were used externally to treat various
drank water from underground streams thatinternal pains, including rheumatism. The leaf buds
once were oceans - which were clouds. Theyhave been chewed in the treatment of
understood the leaves feed on sunlight. Theytoothaches, while an elixir of the buds has been
recognized the freshness of the forest airused as a gargle.
breathed out as oxygen and water-vapor. TheyA weak infusion has been drunk in the treatment
watched quietly as birds, wind and rain spread theof painful joints caused by rheumatism or arthritis
tree's seeds; as insects and the wind pollinatedand a poultice of the crushed bough tips and oil
the tree's flowers; and, creatures broke down thehas been applied to the back and chest in the
fallen leaves into topsoil. The great cedar treetreatment of bronchitis, rheumatism and stomach
became the metaphor for great wisdom. Thepains. The boiled concoction of the boughs has
cedar's giving spirit provided people with food,been used as an antidandruff shampoo. A poultice
shelter and medicine literally from the woodenof the inner bark has been used as a
cradle to the wooden coffin. Working with toolscounter-irritant for the skin and poultice of the
made of stone, bone or shell, craftsman carvedinner bark has been applied to carbuncles. Even
canoes, totem poles, storage boxes andthe bark when pounded until it is as soft as
ceremonial masks from the generous wood. Mats,cotton can be used to rub the face and has been
baskets and water-repellent clothing were shapedused to bind wounds and as cover for wound
and woven from the inner bark.dressings. Shredded bark can be used to cauterize
Perhaps most importantly, western red cedarsores.
was employed medicinally by a number of native