Giizhik (Cedar) Bundle

This Giizhik (Gee-zheek) Cedar bundle is hand-harvested by an Indigenous-owned business on private land in the eastern mountains of California. Each bundle, approximately 4 inches in length, is hand-tied with natural white cotton.

Cedar has been revered for centuries for its spiritual grounding, protective, and healing properties, used by many Indigenous communities. The Anishinaabe (Ah-nish-in-ah-bay) people, whose traditional territory spans the Great Lakes region, including parts of present-day Michigan, Ontario, and Manitoba, call it Giizhik and use it in purification ceremonies to invite good spirits and cleanse spaces. The Sto (Staw-low) people of the Coast Salish, whose lands are along the Fraser River in British Columbia, call cedar Xpey' (Huh-spay) and use it in ceremonies to honor ancestors and promote spiritual well-being. The Tla-o-qui-aht (Tlah-oh-kwee-aht) Nation, located on the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, speak the Nuu-chah-nulth language and refer to cedar as Huumiis, using it to create sacred spaces for healing and protection.

This Cedar bundle is giving reparations, honoring the many ways Cedar sustains and heals Indigenous communities worldwide.

Additional Cultural Information:

• Anishinaabe means “the original people” or “the people from whence lowered,” referring to their deep connection to the Earth and their creation stories.
• Sto means “people of the river,” symbolizing their deep connection to the Fraser River in British Columbia, which has been central to their way of life for millennia.
  
• Tla-o-qui-aht means "people of the different world," referring to their traditional territory on the west coast of Vancouver Island and their connection to the land and sea.