Order from us for quality, customized work in due time of your choice.
Trees are significant natural resources, especially among the Native Americans, since they have a critical role in building and shaping the way of life among the communities. A trail marker tree is a landmark used by Native Americans to tell directions they should follow when traveling (Gooley, 2017). In the early centuries, trail marker trees were bent towards the direction frequently visited by people, such as safe crossings, market directions, and water sources within the community. It becomes easy to get lost in the woods for new travelers; hence, the Native Americans used these trail markers as a guide through the woods. The technique of tree bending varies with the tribe. For instance, a tree marker created by the Iroquois people would appear differently from those bent by Navajo (Gooley, 2017). It is important to note that these trees did not occur naturally but were artificial. Despite the technique used in trail marker tree bending, the primary principle remains the same; this ensures that the marker trees remain intact for years and generations.
Consequently, trail market trees still exist in modern society. For a tree to qualify as a trail marker, it must have the following characteristics. The tree must be old enough to be dated back to a Native American tribe (Gooley, 2017); it proves that the tree existed in the community and the tribe lived within the area. Similarly, the tree runs parallel to the earth, then turns up towards the sky, indicating a specific direction; it includes spring, market, or river trail (Gooley, 2017). Therefore, preserving and appreciating these scenes in modern society is essential since they provide a cultural background of our society and current developments such as roads and train rails. In other communities, trail marker trees are symbols of sacred places where the communities practice their rituals such as marriage, initiation, and making sacrifices to their gods.
Reference
Gooley, T. (2017). How to read nature: Awaken your senses to the outdoors you’ve never noticed. The Experiment.
Order from us for quality, customized work in due time of your choice.