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The Significance of Culturally Modified Trees
A Culturally Modified Tree is government jargon for trees that have been altered by aboriginal people as part of their traditional use of the forest. Archaeologists survey areas proposed for logging to see if any CMT’s as they are called are present. CMTs which date pror to 1846 are subject to a piece of legislation that requires a permit with certain conditions attached before any logging can occur on public land. This is because these trees are evidence under the land claims negotiations that prove aboriginal title to the land. As just a handful of aboriginal people have ever signed a treaty with the Canadian government ceding their land these trees are important.
This tree is merely bark stripped. But there are others in the forest that are very elaborately carved. Others are found where planks have been removed from the live tree. Yes it damages the trees. But it usually doesn’t kill them. However, when a tree is taken down for a totem pole, or a canoe, that would kill the tree.