Indigenous teachings and Emily Carr

As a new-comer to Canada I’m learning things every day. I love it ! This might be old news to you but the native Arbutus Tree has thrived on the Pacific coast for centuries.

It grows on a narrow edge of Vancouver Island and along a small part of the mainland and is Canada’s only broadleaved evergreen tree. Indigenous communities used its berries for food and its durable wood for tools and firewood which cemented the tree’s cultural importance long before this land was colonised. Today it is revered and honoured for it’s beauty and importance by all.

With its twisting branches, evergreen leaves, and shedding cinnamon-red bark, the tree symbolizes strength, endurance, adaptation, and renewal. Because the wood is exceptionally dense, heavy, and slow-growing, First Nations carved it into durable, specialized items like fish hooks, clubs, daggers, and ceremonial objects.

One of Emily Carr’s artubus paintings from the early 1900’s hangs at the National Gallery in Ottawa.

How much do I love trees ? That’s another blog post…I dream of one in particular, love to sit under, hug some and look up..but I did a search on my phone for ‘trees’ and I only have 2,634 images, which isn’t many compared to ‘water’ which sits at 16, 183 images..so as much as I say I love trees..I think there’s a clear winner for photo memories.

If you’re inclined, BC botanist Dr. Andy MacKinnon, talking about the artubus HERE (3 mins)

Copse of the straightest trees I have ever seen in Oakville, near Tannery Park

King Street, Oakville…colours coming soon