The Sacred Nature of Cedar

Many trees are special but Cedar is the most special of all. In the long ago First Times when people were new and learning their places and responsibilities, they also discovered things they ought not to have learned. Here is the story:

Following the "Smooth Shell Days" and in the time after an Old Woman had become a woodpecker (which is quite an interesting story, too), One Above came into Creation to see how things were doing. Creator was curious about how all the newly created and recently instructed nations where getting along. First, One Above visited with the Serpent Nations.

Serpents all saw One Above as the greatest of the Horned Serpents which they followed in swift and rapid courses through fields and woods; it was really exciting for all the Serpents to follow One Above. One by one, Creator, visited all Nations of Beings. The final visit One Above made to the Deer Nation who saw One Above as the largest, swiftest of Deer. They ran after One Above, leaping and prancing with great joy. Each nation of Beings was visited by One Above.

After all this, One Above found that tiredness had come to visit. "So," One Above thought, "now that We are here visiting the Beings and being like the Beings, We are feeling tiredness, too." One Above spotted nearby a very nice little Tree. "How pleasant the shade," thought Creator. So, One Above sat under the pleasant little tree, leaned back into it and was soon fast asleep--quite comfortable, too. Now when One Above does anything,

One Above does it the best. One Above is the wakest of all waking things but One Above is the deepest sleeper of all sleeping things. As One Above sat under the little green tree, sleep wrapped itself tight around Creator who slept and slept and slept and kept on sleeping. As Sun went through its courses of day and night, day and night, animals came, took turns, stood guard and kept a watch over Creator; all the nations of people and other Beings, passed by quietly so as not to disturb One Above the Creator.

However, there was in a far off country, another power--a Being of unpleasant heart and choatic ways. That Being from the "other world," hearing that One Above was fast asleep decided to come cause some general mischief and maybe harm One Above--not that any could do harm to One Above. Well, this "Chaotic One" thought that perhaps it could do so. The Warrior Woodpecker, flying high from tree to tree across open fields, soon became aware of the evil one coming to disturb One Above.

What to do, what shall I do? The Warrior Woodpecker knew his responsibility. He had been given a job in earlier times, had been charged with warning of danger. The Warrior Woodpecker flew swiftly to the little green tree and pecked very, very hard. However, One Above continued to sleep very, very deeply.

Now the Woodpecker pecked ever harder and harder and harder. Soon, the Woodpecker was drumming so hard against the tree that he 'roused all creation with his noise. All the able Beings came to see what was the matter, what was the source of this great noise--the cause of all this racket. Once there, they saw the little Woodpecker drumming so very hard on the tree that finally One Above awakened and quickly learned the cause of the racket that had disturbed the deep sleep.

Now wide awake, and with the help of all the other Beings, One Above quickly put the chaotic one back into the place of darkness and disorder from whence it had come. That poor Woodpecker, who at first had only a little red on its skin, had pecked the tree so hard that its head had become bloody all over. Some of its blood had even dropped down on its children who had come to help and were standing around on the ground. We see today that many small woodpeckers have little drops of red on their heads from their father's blood.

The Warrior Woodpeckers' heads are dark red all over where their ancestor bloodied his entire head drumming hard against the little pleasant green tree. All during the time One Above slept and breathed deeply, the little tree, the little Cedar that sheltered and shaded One Above, kept its branches arched out to protect Creator from too much Sun, too much Cold, or too much Wind; in so doing, the little tree had gently captured and absorbed all the breath of One Above--not wanting it to escape in case One Above should need that breath again.

And so it was upon awaking that One Above said to the Cedar, "You, faithful servant Tree, shall keep this Breath with you always that all may know that you are special; you were trusted and you watched over Our sleep. All shall always be aware of you; your fragrant smell will always tell others how close you are to Creator."

Now you know why the Warrior Woodpecker has a red head and many smaller woodpecker species have the little red dot; now you know story of the fragrant Cedar Tree and the breath of One Above. And, when Cedar is burned as incense, the fragrant breath carries the thanksgiving prayers of all Beings to One Above. This is how things came to be. This is what the Old Ones told us.

by James Running Turtle
(Indian-Outlaw)