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Native American Tree Mythology

Trees are also used as clan symbols in many Native American cultures, particularly in the Southwest. Common Tree Clans include the Willow Tree Clan (Navajo and Pueblo,) the Oak Tree Clan (Pueblo), the Cedar Tree Clan (Hopi), the Pine Tree Clan (Pueblo), the Birch Tree Clan (Pueblo), the Dogwood Tree Clan (Hopi), and the Cottonwood Clan (Pueblo.)

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Tree Mythology In Various Tribes

*Meaning of ash trees
*Meaning of birch trees
*Meaning of cedar trees
*Meaning of copal trees
*Meaning of cottonwood trees
*Meaning of dogwood trees
*Meaning of fir trees
*Meaning of maple trees
*Meaning of oak trees
*Meaning of pine trees
*Meaning of pinion trees
*Meaning of spruce trees
*Meaning of willow trees
*Meaning of yew trees

Native American Tree Gods and Spirits

Maple Sapling (Huron/Iroquois)
Tree Dwellers (Sioux)

Native American Legends About Trees

*How the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Ottawa Became One People * Indian Tree Story:
    Potawatomi legends about the Tree of Peace.
Tree and Tradition * Gluskonba Makes the People * Origin of the Penobscot:
    Abenaki and Penobscot tales about the Indians being created from ash trees.
Gluskonba and the Four Wishes * The First Pine Trees:
    Wabanaki legends about the origin of pine trees.
*The Legend of the Birch Tree:
    Odawa legend about a young man who became the first birch tree.
*The Story of the Maple Tree * Woodpecker and the Sugar Maple Tree:
    Lenape legend about the woodpeckers and the maple trees helping each other.

Recommended Books of Tree Stories from Native American Myth and Legend
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Native Plant Stories:
    Excellent collection of Native American stories about trees and plants, by Abenaki storyteller Joseph Bruchac.
Native American Ethnobotany:
    Comprehensive book on the traditional Native American medicine uses of trees, herbs and other plants.
Rabbit Plants the Forest:
    Children's picture book illustrating a Cherokee legend about Rabbit helping Saloli the squirrel plant trees in the forest.
*Sacred Trees:
    Interesting book on the role of trees in world mythology and spirituality, including Native Americans.
The Meaning of Trees: Botany, History, Healing, Lore:
    Another good book about the folklore and cultural symbolism of trees worldwide.



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