Cedar
Qar’usiq; Qasrulek
Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Don
Alaska Yellow Cedar, Alaska Cypress
Qar’usiq; Qasrulek
Chamaecyparis nootkatensis (D. Don) Sudworth
Plant
Cedar do not grow in the Kodiak Archipelago but occur abundantly as driftwood. Both types of cedar are evergreen trees with fibrous bark and aromatic, rot-resistant wood. Western red cedar, a large tree, has moderately soft, straight-grained wood with reddish brown heartwood. Alaska yellow cedar is a medium-sized tree with moderately hard and relatively straight-grained wood. Its heartwood is bright yellow.
Fuel: Cedar is an important source of firewood.
Material: People value cedar for construction and crafts. It is used in house and boat building, and to make bows, arrows, spear shafts, paddles, skis, containers, drum rims, rattles, masks, armor, shovels, game parts, dolls, and toys.
