QUESTION: A tree on this hill produces a liquid that can be used to prepare and preserve food. Which one?
ANSWER: The red maple’s sap is used as a food preservative!
“Traditionally, Indigenous people have used maple syrup to cure meats, as a sweetener for bitter medicines and as an anesthetic. Maple sugar also contains nutritious minerals, including phosphorous, magnesium, potassium, iron and calcium. Maple syrup was also used as a trade item in the form of dried, portable sugar slabs.” –Tony Tekaroniake Evans (Mohawk)
Location: Near Ireton Hall stairs at bottom of hill (the tree has a memorial plaque).
Indigenous tribes such as the Cherokee, Delaware, and Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) make the wood and root bark from a similar native Virginia tree of this region – black cherry (Prunus serotina var. serotina) – into furniture, food, and medicine (e.g., treating coughs and sore throats).
Ornamental dogwood (Cornus kousa)
Location: At bottom of hill, in between ornamental cherry with plaque and Gailhac Hall stairs
The Rappahannock, Delaware, and Cherokee are among the Indigenous peoples who value a similar native Virginia tree of this region – the flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) – for building, decorations, teeth cleaning, and medicine (e.g., treating headaches and parasitic infections).
Eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana)
Location: At bottom of hill, beside sidewalk at lowest corner of Gailhac Hall
The Rappahannock, along with the Cherokee and other Iroquois-speaking tribes, make medicine, building materials, decorations, and insect repellant from the eastern redcedar. The wood, leaves, and bark contain antibacterial and anti-inflammatory compounds.
American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)
Location: The tall tree between Ireton Hall and the stairs near Ireton. The tree has large white patches on its trunk and branches.
The Cherokee (Iroquois-speaking tribe) and the Delaware (Algonquian-speaking tribe) are among the Indigenous peoples who make building materials, clothing, and medicine (e.g., for treating coughs, rashes, and urinary tract infections) from the American sycamore.
Red maple (Acer rubrum)
Location: Tall tree about one-third of the way up the hill
Indigenous peoples of the Algonquian and Iroquois language groups, including the Cherokee, make food (e.g., sugar, syrup, bread), bowls, furniture, and medicine (e.g., for treating hives, inflamed eyes, and cataracts) from the red maple.
Red oak (Quercus rubra)
Location: Tall tree about two-thirds of the way up the hill
The Cherokee and other Iroquois-speaking tribes, as well as the Rappahannock, Delaware, Choptank, and other Algonquian-speaking tribes, make clothing, baskets, woven chairs, food, and medicine (e.g., for treating mouth sores and indigestion) from the red oak.
The acorns provide an important fall food for wildlife – including both small animals, such as birds and squirrels, and large mammals, such as deer, bear, and elk – which are essential sources of food and clothing.
Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus)
Location: Two tall evergreen trees alongside Gailhac Hall, toward top entrance
The Delaware and other Algonquian-speaking tribes, along with the Cherokee and other Iroquois-speaking tribes, make artwork, long canoes, and many medicines (e.g. for treating colds, coughs, and skin rashes/cuts) from the eastern white pine.
