Indigenous people who inhabited British Columbia used the materials available in their immediate environment for different purposes such as medicine, household objects, food, and spiritual practices. Trees like pine and cedar were extremely important, so indigenous people harvested parts such as the bark, but left the rest of the tree intact. These culturally modified trees (CMTs) can be found throughout the province and they are part of the archeological record detailing the native way of life.
On one of the trails, I hiked this year, I came across this sign explaining the cultural significance of CMTs.
This trail crosses land that used to be inhabited by indigenous people in a couple of villages. Apparently, there are trees around the area that bear the mark of harvesting. I found the tree shown in the following photograph with the bark stripped off. I wondered if it was natural decay or if someone had stripped material from it. CMT or not, it was a reminder that long ago humans stirred in the thicket.
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