Editing Thuja plicata (section)

==Uses==

=== In indigenous societies ===
[[File:Klallam people near canoe.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|[[Klallam]] people and canoe, ca. 1914]]

Western redcedar is considered the Tree of Life by many of the First Nations of the Pacific Northwest, as the tree gave them everything that they needed for life: food, water (in the form of water tight woven cedar bark baskets), clothing, medicine, transportation (their canoes made from the wood), shelter (boards of wood used to build their long houses), and spirituality (the boughs being used in many ceremonies).{{sfn|Stewart|1984}}{{page needed|date=January 2023}} Some northwest coast tribes refer to themselves as "people of the Red Cedar" because of their extensive dependence on the tree for basic materials. The wood has been used for constructing housing and [[totem pole]]s, and crafted into many objects, including masks, utensils, boxes, boards, instruments, canoes, vessels, houses, and ceremonial objects. Western redcedar is also associated with a long tradition of curing and cooking fish over the open fire. Roots and bark are used for baskets, bowls, ropes, clothing, blankets, and rings.{{sfn|Stewart|1984|pp=17–19}}{{sfn|Van Pelt|2001|p=30}}

A huge number of archaeological finds point to the continuous use of redcedar wood in native societies. Woodworking tools dating between 8,000 and 5,000 years ago, such as carved antlers, were discovered in [[shell midden]]s at the Glenrose site, near [[Vancouver]], British Columbia.{{sfn|Stewart|1984|p=27}} In [[Yuquot]], on the west coast of Vancouver Island, tools dating 4,000 to 3,000 years old have been found.{{sfn|Stewart|1984|p=27}} The Musqueam site, also near Vancouver, yielded bark baskets woven in five different styles, along with ropes and ships dated to 3,000 years ago. At [[Pitt River]], [[adze]]s and baskets were dated around 2,900 years ago. Wooden artefacts 1000 years old were unearthed on the east coast of Vancouver Island.{{sfn|Stewart|1984|p=26}}

Western redcedar was used extensively wherever it was found along the northwest coast (British Columbia, [[Washington state]], parts of Alaska). Evidence of this use is found in [[culturally modified trees]] (CMTs) that are found throughout the coast. When First Nations people removed the bark from cedars, it left a scar{{Snd}}which is considered a CMT. Other types of harvest (for planks, tinder, and other uses) leave different types of evidence of cultural modification.

A legend amongst the [[Coast Salish peoples]] describes the origins of the western redcedar. In this legend, there was a generous man who gave the people whatever they needed. When the [[Great Spirit]] saw this, he declared that when the generous man died, a great Red Cedar tree will grow where he is buried, and that the cedar will be useful to all the people, providing its roots for baskets, bark for clothing, and wood for shelter.{{sfn|Stewart|1984|p=27}}

==== Tools ====
The wood was worked primarily with the [[adze]], which was preferred over all other tools, even ones introduced by Europeans. Alexander Walker, an ensign on the fur trade ship ''Captain Cook'', reported that the indigenous peoples used an elbow adze, which they valued over tools brought by the Europeans, such as the [[saw]] or the [[axe]], going so far as to modify traded tools back into an adze. Tools were generally made from stone, bone, [[obsidian]], or a harder wood such as [[Tsuga|hemlock]]. A variety of hand [[Post maul|maul]]s, wedges, chisels, and knives are also used.

Excavations done at [[Ozette, Washington]], turned up iron tools nearly 800 years old, far before European contact. When [[James Cook]] passed the area, he observed that almost all tools were made of iron.{{sfn|Stewart|1984|p=36}} There has been speculation on the origin of these iron tools. Some theories include shipwrecks from [[East Asia]] or possible contact with iron-using cultures from [[Siberia]], as hinted in the more advanced woodworking found in northern tribes such as the [[Tlingit people|Tlingit]].{{sfn|Stewart|1984|p=36}}{{sfn|Pritzker|1998|p=292}}{{sfn|Miller|2008|p=67}}<ref>DeCapua, pp. 16–20</ref>

==== Wood ====
[[File:Moa-4.jpg|thumb|left|A [[totem pole]] outside a six-post house at the [[University of British Columbia]]]]

Harvesting western redcedar required some ceremony and included propitiation of the tree's spirits as well as those of the surrounding trees. In particular, many people specifically requested the tree and its brethren not to fall or drop heavy branches on the harvester,{{sfn|Stewart|1984|p=39}} a situation which is mentioned in a number of different stories of people who were not sufficiently careful. Some professional loggers of Native American descent have mentioned that they offer quiet or silent propitiations to trees which they fell, following in this tradition.

Felling of large trees such as western redcedar before the introduction of steel tools was a complex and time-consuming art. Typically the bark was removed around the base of the tree above the buttresses. Then some amount of cutting and splitting with stone adzes and mauls would be done, creating a wide triangular cut. The area above and below the cut would be covered with a mixture of wet moss and clay as a firebreak. Then the cut would be packed with tinder and small kindling and slowly burned. The process of cutting and burning would alternate until the tree was mostly penetrated through, and then careful tending of the fire would fell the tree in the best direction for handling. This process could take many days. A constant rotation of workers was involved to keep the fires burning through night and day, often in a remote and forbidding location.{{sfn|Stewart|1984|pp=37–38}}

Once the tree was felled, the work had only just begun, as it then had to be stripped and dragged down to the shore. If the tree was to become canoes, then it would often be divided into sections and worked into rough canoe shapes before transport. If it were to be used for a totem pole or building materials, it would be towed in the round to the village.{{sfn|Stewart|1984|p=40}} Many trees are still felled in this traditional manner for use as totem poles and canoes, particularly by artists who feel that using modern tools is detrimental to the traditional spirit of the art. Non-traditionalists simply buy redcedar logs or lumber at mills or lumber yards, a practice that is commonly followed by most working in smaller sizes such as for masks and staves.

Because felling required such an extraordinary amount of work, if only planks for housing were needed, these would be split from the living tree. The bark was stripped and saved, and two cuts were made at the ends of the planking. Then wedges would be pounded in along the sides and the planks slowly split off the side of the tree.{{sfn|Stewart|1984|p=42}} Trees which have been so harvested are still visible in some places in the rainforest, with obvious chunks taken off of their sides. Such trees usually continue to grow perfectly well, since redcedar wood is resistant to decay. Planks are straightened by a variety of methods, including weighing them down with stones, lashing them together with rope, or forcing them between a line of stakes.{{sfn|Stewart|1984|p=43}}

Redcedar wood is used to make huge [[monoxyla]] [[canoe]]s in which the men went out to high sea to harpoon [[whale]]s and conduct trade.{{sfn|McNeese|2002|p=43}} One of those canoes, a {{convert|38|ft|m|adj=on|order=flip}} craft dug out about a century ago, was bought in 1901 by Captain [[John Voss (sailor)|John Voss]], an adventurer. He gave her the name of [[Tilikum (boat)|Tilikum]] ('Relative' in Chinook jargon), rigged her, and led her in a hectic three-year voyage from British Columbia to [[London]].{{sfn|Dill|2006|pp=127–128}}

Redcedar branches are very flexible and have good tensile strength. They were stripped and used as strong cords for [[fishing]] line, nets,<ref name="Arno" /> rope cores, twine, and other purposes where bark cord was not strong enough or might fray. Both the branches and bark rope have been replaced by modern fiber and nylon cordage among the aboriginal northwest coast peoples, though the bark is still in use for the other purposes mentioned above.{{Cn|date=May 2025}}

==== Bark ====
[[File:Thuja plicata bark.png|thumb|upright|Illustration of women pulling bark from a tree, from ''Indian Legends of Vancouver Island'' by Alfred Carmichael]]

At the right time of year, the bark is easily removed from live trees in long strips. It is harvested for use in making mats, [[rope]] and cordage, [[basket]]ry, rain hats, [[clothing]], and other soft goods. The harvesting of bark must be done with care, as stripping too much bark will kill the tree. To prevent this, the harvester usually only harvests from trees that have not been stripped before.{{sfn|Stewart|1984|p=116}} After harvesting, the tree is not used for bark again, although it may later be felled for wood. Stripping bark is usually started with a series of cuts at the base of the tree above any buttresses, after which the bark is peeled upwards. To remove bark high up, a pair of platforms strung on rope around the tree are used and the harvester climbs by alternating between them for support. Since western redcedars lose their lower branches as all tall trees do in the rainforest, the harvester may climb {{cvt|10|m|ft}} or more into the tree by this method. The harvested bark is folded and carried in backpacks.{{sfn|Stewart|1984|p=115}} It can be stored for quite some time as mold does not grow on it and is moistened before unfolding and working. It is then split lengthwise into the required width and woven or twisted into shape. Bark harvesting was mostly done by women, despite the danger of climbing ten meters in the air, because they were the primary makers of bark goods.{{sfn|Stewart|1984|p=113}}

Today bark rope making is a lost art in many communities, although it is still practiced for decoration or art in a few places. Other uses of bark are still common for artistic or practical purposes. In recent years there has been a revival of cedar weaving in some communities, and along with it, new forms of cedar bark products. For example, in some recent weddings cedar roses are used to decorate the tables.

===Timber===
[[File:SeneddFunnel.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.3|Canadian western redcedar cowl in the [[Senedd building|National Assembly for Wales]]]]

The soft red-brown timber has a tight, straight grain and few knots. It is valued for its distinct appearance, aroma, and its high natural resistance to decay, being extensively used for outdoor construction in the form of posts, decking, [[Shake (shingle)|shingles]], and siding.<ref name="forestsor08">{{cite web | url=http://www.oregon.gov/odf/pubs/docs/forests_for_oregon/ffo_fall_08.pdf | title=Western Redcedar, "Tree of Life" | publisher=Oregon Department of Forestry | work=Forests for Oregon | date=Fall 2008 | access-date=18 September 2014 | author=Chase, Jeri | pages=18–19 | archive-date=24 November 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141124090603/http://www.oregon.gov/odf/pubs/docs/forests_for_oregon/ffo_fall_08.pdf | url-status=live }}</ref> It is commonly used for the framing and longwood in lightweight sail boats and kayaks. In larger boats it is often used in sandwich construction between two layers of epoxy resin and/or fiberglass or similar products. Due to its light weight{{Snd}}{{cvt|390|to|400|kg/m3|lb/cuft}} dried{{Snd}}it is about 30% lighter than common boat building woods, such as mahogany. For its weight it is quite strong but can be brittle. It glues well with epoxy resin or [[resorcinol]] adhesive.

Its light weight, strength, and dark, warm sound make it a popular choice for [[guitar]] [[sound board (music)|soundboards]], particularly among European guitar builders such as Lowden and Furch.

Western redcedar wood is [[Export Administration Regulations|export-restricted in the United States]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-06-06 |title=5 Things You Would Never Expect Need an Export License |url=https://www.visualcompliance.com/blog/?p=185 |access-date=2022-03-12 |website=The Export Compliance Journal |language=en-US |archive-date=28 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220628215948/https://www.visualcompliance.com/blog/?p=185 |url-status=live }}</ref> The tree is highly allergenic and woodworkers or [[loggers]] who work with it may have adverse reactions, including the development of [[occupational asthma]], exacerbation of existing [[asthma]], reduction of [[lung function]], and eye irritation. Approximately 5% of workers are allergic to western redcedar. The US [[Occupational Safety and Health Administration]] has set a [[permissible exposure limit]] for western redcedar dust of 2.5&nbsp;mg/m<sup>3</sup> as a time-weighted average over eight hours.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/pel88/WOODDUST.html|title = Wood Dust|date = 28 September 2011|publisher = OSHA/NIOSH|access-date = 16 September 2017|archive-date = 6 April 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210406003839/https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/pel88/wooddust.html|url-status = live}}</ref>

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=== Essential oil ===
The [[essential oil]] of western redcedar leaves contains natural compounds, such as α-[[thujone]], β-[[thujone]], [[fenchone]], [[sabinene]], [[terpinen-4-ol]] and beyerene,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lis |first1=Anna |last2=Swaczyna |first2=Agata |last3=Krajewska |first3=Agnieszka |last4=Mellor |first4=Karolina |date=July 2019 |title=Chemical Composition of the Essential Oils From Twigs, Leaves, and Cones of Thuja plicata and Its Cultivar Varieties "Fastigiata", "Kornik," and "Zebrina" |journal=Natural Product Communications |volume=14 |issue=7 |pages=1934578X1986290 |doi=10.1177/1934578X19862904 |doi-access=free |s2cid=202164043}}</ref> which have also been isolated from different other essential oils. Some of these substances are [[Aromatic compound|aroma compounds]] and are used in [[perfume]]ry.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Fahlbusch |first1=Karl-Georg |last2=Hammerschmidt |first2=Franz-Josef |last3=Panten |first3=Johannes |last4=Pickenhagen |first4=Wilhelm |last5=Schatkowski |first5=Dietmar |last6=Bauer |first6=Kurt |last7=Garbe |first7=Dorothea |last8=Surburg |first8=Horst |date=15 January 2003 |title=Flavors and Fragrances |journal=Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry |pages=a11_141 |doi=10.1002/14356007.a11_141 |isbn=3527306730}}</ref> Thujones are [[GABAA receptor|GABA<sub>A</sub> receptor]] [[GABA receptor antagonist|competitive antagonists]], but do not have any pharmacological use due to their high toxicity and [[convulsive]] activity.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Olsen |first1=R. W. |date=25 April 2000 |title=Absinthe and gamma -aminobutyric acid receptors |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |volume=97 |issue=9 |pages=4417–4418 |bibcode=2000PNAS...97.4417O |doi=10.1073/pnas.97.9.4417 |pmc=34311 |pmid=10781032 |doi-access=free}}</ref>
[[File:Wester-redcedar-guitar-top.jpg|thumb|Western redcedar used as a guitar top for a steel stringed guitar]]

=== Other uses ===
It is also widely used throughout Europe and America for making [[beehive]] components.{{Cn|date=May 2024}}

Its bark has been studied for applications in [[polyurethane]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Chen|first=Heyu|title=The Utilization of Bark and Bark Components from Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata) for Polyurethane Applications|url=https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/bitstream/1807/101061/1/Chen_Heyu_%20_202006_PhD_thesis.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=26 April 2021|archive-date=26 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210426192249/https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/bitstream/1807/101061/1/Chen_Heyu_%20_202006_PhD_thesis.pdf}}</ref>

Used in the construction of windows and doors (joinery grade timber).{{Cn|date=May 2024}}

Western red cedar is still highly valued as "tonewood" for stringed instruments' sound boards.{{Cn|date=May 2024}}