Thuja occidentalis

Cedar has powerful healing and restorative properties. In many first nations on the west coast including Tlingit and Coastal Salish, spiritual practices recognize the life and spirit of cedar who can act as an assistant or guard. Cedar’s concentrated antioxidant, antibiotic, and anti-inflammatory properties make it ideal for purifying the home and other spaces. Leaves have long been used to treat painful joints and remedy coughs and fevers.

Both western red cedar (Thuja plicata) and northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis) are valued by Indigenous peoples within their native ranges. Western red cedar is deeply connected to the cultures of Pacific Northwest coastal peoples, including the Coast Salish, Haida, and Tlingit. Northern white cedar is used by Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe, Abenaki, and other Indigenous communities of the Great Lakes and Northeast.