was commonly harvested to make syrup from tree
genera like (Betula spp.), maple (Acer spp.), and
larch (Larix spp.). Interestingly, the use of Manitoba
maple (Acer negundo) syrup in pemmican prompted
the Iskatewizaagegan Anishinaabe of Shoal Lake,
Ontario to plant a forest of Manitoba maple on
Siizibaakwetaatig Minis, an island on Shoal Lake.
Trees can also be used as sources of traditional
medicines. Sap or pitch from hemlock (Tsuga hetero-
phylla), piñon (Pinus edulis), spruce (Picea spp.), fir
(Abies spp.), balsam fir (A. balsamifera), and other
coniferous trees were used to treat skin infections,
tuberculosis, colds, flus, and cancer. Sap may be
harvested from the same tree for multiple years. In
Gitga'at Territory (coastal British Columbia), a single
Sitka spruce (P. sitchensis) has been used for mul-
tiple generations as a medicinal sap tree. The Gitga'at
heat the sap to liquify it, mixing it with animal fat to
treat cuts and infections. Amongst the Diné (Navajo),
piñon pitch is used to treat or prevent infections
from cuts and burns. The hardened pitch can also be
stored and heated as needed to treat colds or flus.
Bark of certain tree species is also important in
the creation of cultural regalia. In the case of
western redcedar, bark stripping occurs in late
spring or early summer. Long strips of bark are
slowly pulled from the tree, beginning at the
bottom and peeling upwards (Figure 1). The
trees give a certain amount of bark—the strips
breaking from the tree when it has given enough.
These practices can be facilitated through partner-
ships between municipalities and local Indigenous
groups. A word of warning, however, that prac-
tices like bark stripping can be negatively perceived
by city residents. In an example from the Pacific
Northwest, a local Indigenous group had been
invited to bark strip a western redcedar that was
slated for removal. The lack of announcement of
this, however, resulted in city residents seeing a
tree stripped of bark and then, the following day,
removed. Naturally, community engagement extends
broadly, and announcing planned engagement
activities can reduce any misinterpretations.
Bark stripping on a Thuja plicata for basket
weaving. Photo by Alexander Martin
18 CityTREES
