Western redcedar
Western redcedar (Thuja plicata) is a large, long-lived conifer native to western North America, valued for durable wood and aromatic foliage.
Thuja: Thuja is a genus of evergreen conifers in the cypress family, native to North America and East Asia. Western redcedar is one of the genus’s two North American species.
Cedar wood: Cedar wood is timber from trees commonly called cedars, including several unrelated conifer genera. Western redcedar wood is lightweight, workable, and resistant to decay.
Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast: Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast are the diverse Native nations whose homelands span the region’s coastal forests and waterways. Many communities have longstanding relationships with western redcedar and its materials.
Western red cedar (juniper): Western red cedar is also used for Juniperus scopulorum, a juniper native to western North America. The similar common name can denote a different species in the juniper genus.
Cupressaceae: Cupressaceae is the cypress family, a group of cone-bearing evergreen trees and shrubs. The family includes Thuja and other conifers with scale-like or needle-like foliage.
Shingle: A shingle is a thin piece of material laid in overlapping rows to cover a roof or wall. Western redcedar has long supplied durable, lightweight roofing and siding shingles.
Haida people: The Haida are an Indigenous people whose homeland includes Haida Gwaii and parts of the northern Pacific Northwest Coast. Haida artists and communities have used redcedar in carving, canoes, and other cultural practices.
Eastern redcedar: Eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) is a juniper native to eastern North America. Despite its name, it is a juniper rather than a Thuja.
Conifer: A conifer is a gymnosperm that usually bears seeds in cones and has needle-like or scale-like leaves. Western redcedar’s cones and evergreen leaves are characteristic conifer traits.
Cedar bark weaving: Cedar bark weaving is a craft that prepares and interlaces bark fibers into useful or ceremonial objects. Some Indigenous peoples of the Northwest Coast traditionally use western redcedar bark for weaving.