DOUGLAS FIR ( Interior or Rocky Mountain , may also be called Douglas spruce , Oregon pine or Columbian pine )
Ktunaxa : ⱡu Latin : Pseudotsuga menziesii var . glauca | French : Douglas Vert
Another giant of the forest , the Douglas Fir is a large conifer ( not a true fir ) which grows up to 40m in height and can be found throughout the Rockies and on the west coast . In Canada it prefers sunny , south facing well-drained slopes at low to mid elevation . The needles , which can appear yellow-green or blue green are prolific , but not sharp like a spruce . The cones are elongated and the trunk , which often has a slight , smooth bend , becomes increasingly fissured as the tree ages .
The Ktunaxa have used rotten wood from the Douglas Fir for making lightly tinted buckskin . In the Shuswap area , it is used for building snowshoes and sweathouses and for pit cooking . It has also been used as a medicinal remedy .
PAPER BIRCH ( White Birch )
Ktunaxa : ʔakuwaⱡwuʔk Latin : Betula papyrifera French : Bouleau à papier
The tall , elegant Paper Birch is found throughout the Elk Valley in moist settings and on floodplains . The trees can grow up to 40m tall , with a trunk up to 75cm . The leaves are oval with irregular toothed edges and turn a vibrant yellow in the fall . They are easily spotted amongst evergreen forests , especially in October .
The bark is initially tan in colour , maturing to silvery grey as the tree ages . It can be easily peeled from the trunk of the tree , hence the name . The Paper Birch is considered to be one of the most useful plants to the Ktunaxa people . The outer bark is an excellent tinder for lighting fires or can be rolled onto a branch to make a torch , while the wood is excellent firewood . The bark was also traditionally used for basket making . These baskets were used for packing and storing berries or would be waterproofed using pitch from coniferous trees . Before metal pots became available , these waterproof baskets were used for cooking food and heating water by the addition of hot rocks .
Sources and further recommended reading :
Handbook of the Canadian Rockies by Ben Gadd ; All Living Things by the Ktunaxa / Kinbasket Tribal Council , Michael Keefer and Peter McCoy , and Hiking Trails and Natural Plant Compendium by Terry Nelson .
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