Cedar?

Saying "Native American" is just about as specific as saying "Native European". There were thousands of American Indian Tribes and American Indian Cultures.

Some American Indian tribes use cedar shavings and burnt cedar as a basic part of ritual. Your co-worker may object to cedar in a secular setting.

I doubt the objection is religious, tobacco is used ritually in many native religions. But many Native Americans also smoke cigarets. Your friend my object to the odor of ceder. Which group is this friend a member of?

And what exactly is his objection? (I mean, how did this come up, what did he say?)

You have me wondering about the answers to the same questions that have already been asked.

Cedar is very effective as an insect deterrent and as a building wood. I really wonder what your friend would have against it?

the only thing i rememeber about cedar and amerinds (the few I know) is that a creature (we would probably think of as evil gnomes) are believed to have lived in cedar trees.

Bookmarking...waiting to hear the answer.

I don't know if this is the reason or not


http://www.saskschools.ca/~gregory/firstnations/smudge.html

The haida gwai used cedar for canoes, totem poles, to build long houses, masks and so on.

This is getting interesting.

It would seem that her aversion should'nt be?

Not necessarily. As was pointed out above, there are many tribal groups of Amerinds and the number of myths, folkways, and taboos is staggering. To have even the chance of an informed answer you need to supply better information.

Your informant is apparently a female, but of what tribe? How traditionally was she raised? There is a good chance her avoidence of cedar springs from some source other than her tribal heritage, or that she has addapted an older tradition, unconsciously, to fit her understanding and personal preferences. Why do you think this cedar thing is a tribal/clan taboo?

Most of what I think I know about tribal and clan ways is related to the various tribes of the American Southwest, and Northern Mexico. I know of no taboos connected with cedar or the products of burnt cedar. Cedar is used by some tribes as a sort of air sweetner. Corn, beans, squash, and tobacco are here widely regarded as sacred plants and they are reverently dealt with by the traditional minded. Among some of the Pueblos, mellons also have great importance, but corn is supreme. Corn meal and pollen is like holy water to many and is used in ceremonies by a wide variety of local tribal groups.

Give us more information, and perhaps we can be of some help.

Asher:

And I shall--as soon as I work with her again.

As an aside, I'm wondering if she may not be part Native American, but actually part Indian(as in the country).

I shall do what I can to help give you and the rest of A2K the info they need.

This is an odd question. I've never heard of anyone objecting to cedar. Such a lovely tree, whether it is a true cedar or one of the native Thujas.

Perhaps this person that you know, Neo Guin, is intent on separating native from true cedars. The native "cedar" of the Americas is not a true cedar. Our native Western Red Cedar which is so beloved for its general use and spiritual values is Thuja plicata. The native "false" cedars are: Alaska Cedar, Incense Cedar, Port Orford Cedar, and Western Red Cedar.

There are three major groups of true Cedars:
Atlas Cedar (Cedrus atlantica) is from northern Africa,
Deodar Cedar (Cedrus deodara) is from northern India,
Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus lebani) from the mideast.

... which could at least be a clue, since there are only four real cedars: three native to mountainous areas of the Mediterranean region and one to the western Himalayas: the Atlas cedar (C. atlantica), the Cyprus cedar (C. brevifolia), the deodar (C. deodara), and the cedar of Lebanon (C. libani) are the true cedars; all others are just coniferous trees similar to cedars.

Ahhh, great minds, eh Walter?

Btw, many sources including the Cyprus Museum of Natural History describes the Cyprus cedar as a variety of a Cedar of Lebanaon... I don't know why ... those sorts of distinctions are beyond me.


They're all conifers. "True cedars are part of the Pine family (Pinaceae)." Native "cedars" of North America are "called "false cypresses" because they are in the Cypress family (Cupressaceae) but not in the true cypress genus, Cupressus."

from Trees of Reed College