By Nati Garcia (Maya Mam, CS Staff)
I remember growing up and climbing trees as a child; they were my haven when I needed space. The trees were a place where I felt closest to myself. I always felt a strong connection to them from a young age, without understanding why. I also recall my mother telling me about her childhood in the jungles of Guatemala, where she would swing on the branches of the trees and the jungle was her playground. I deeply resonated with her childhood joy and connection with the trees.
Growing up in a city on the unceded Coast Salish territories of the Musqueam Peoples, I longed for trees and always dreamt about building my own tree house. I grew up in an urban environment where my spirit yearned for the forest. I remember receiving a bodywork session once where the practitioner went to my chest above my heart and said she saw a lush jungle full of trees. I instantly cried. The connection was deep and rooted in my ancestry. This paved a path in my life of repatriation with my relatives, the trees, bringing back the first exchange of my existence into the world: the breath.
A forest ecosystem, with its dense population of trees, supports a diverse community of organisms. The trees create a multi-layered canopy that provides habitat and food, while the forest floor, rich in decaying matter, supports decomposing crucial for nutrient cycling. The interactions between living organisms and non-living components maintain a delicate balance. Trees play a vital role in regulating climate and water cycles, and the forest's biodiversity provides oxygen to all.
I see trees as relatives living in the same global community—Mother Earth. Many studies have been done on how trees communicate beneath the ground through a network of roots and fungi, often referred to as the “wood wide web.” Through this network they send important signals and warnings, safeguarding the nutrients of a young or sick tree that requires attention. Behind the communication is a relationship of profound nurturing and kinship. Trees offer shelter, medicine, and guidance to all beings, from microorganisms to humans, providing sustenance unconditionally. The exchange is sacred.
Although these studies have reshaped our understanding of forests, they often dismiss Indigenous knowledge of tree communication, disregarding Indigenous teachings and Traditional Ecological Knowledge that hold trees as symbols of cultural wisdom and identity. In some cultures, trees are said to have their own council where they talk to each other. For countless generations, these stories have been passed down to continue the lineage of a reciprocal relationship in safeguarding the trees as a way of life and fostering a thriving community. There are traditional practices and ceremonies when communicating with a tree that embody extensive wisdom and profound reflection that binds our roots. In many Indigenous cultures, trees are seen as ancestors, protectors, and spiritual keepers of knowledge with a communal ancestral connection. Trees are also seen as carriers of the Elders’ ancient wisdom. In the Amazon, there are Tribes that do ceremonies to enter a state of communion with the forest to receive guidance and healing. These interactions bridge a relationship of harmony with the forest in safeguarding the wellness and health of a community.
When I return to my memories as a child, to how I felt protected and at peace in the presence of the trees and how they knew what I was feeling, I understand now that they provided a kinship and an ancestral connection that was fragmented in my life. In my mid-20s, I did a 3-day trek into the basin of northern Guatemala where I walked through the thick jungle forest surrounded by Ceiba trees. It was a healing experience. I felt like I was walking in the footsteps of my parents and the many Maya families who fled their homes during the civil war, for whom the jungle forest was their shelter and sanctuary from the military. My parents, along with my two older siblings. went into hiding before making the long trek to Mexico refugee camps in order to receive humanitarian aid. My late grandparents, however, decided to stay in hiding for another 12 years after the civil war ended; they felt safest and closest to home in the jungle. During that period there was food scarcity. When I asked my parents how they survived, they said they ate the fruit of the Guapinol, which is packed with nutrients. The trees were a refuge for them.
Without trees, humans would not survive. When a forest is at risk of being harmed or destroyed, it severely impacts the livelihoods of the Indigenous Peoples there, along with the entire ecological community. Indigenous Peoples are often at the forefront in advocating for the protection of biodiversity for the forest and the trees closest to our hearts. The rise of deforestation and illegal logging is increasing the frequency of wildfire outbreaks and the loss of tremendous biodiversity, harming the communication among the current living trees and the health of future trees. Healthy forests play a critical role in capturing carbon, water regulation, and habitat protection. Protecting these forests around the world is vital and essential for ensuring the existence of life on Earth.
Some important trees to remember:
Photo by Jim Rhodes.
The Ceiba Tree in Maya Cultures
The Ceiba tree, specifically Ceiba pentandra, held significant spiritual importance for the Maya Peoples of Central America, who revered it as the World Tree. In their belief system, the Ceiba was the cosmic axis connecting the earthly realm with the underworld and the heavens. This connection was visualized through the tree's roots delving into the underworld, with the trunk inhabiting the human world and its branches reaching into the sky. The symbolism of the Ceiba tree extended to life, death, and rebirth, playing a prominent role in the Popol Vuh, the Maya creation story. This reverence emphasized the interconnectedness of all life and the necessity of maintaining balance within the universe.
Photo by CIFOR-ICRAF.
The Baobab Tree in Hadzabe Cultures
The Baobab tree, Adansonia, is a symbol of life, fertility, sustenance, and resilience for the Hadzabe People, who believe that their ancestors' spirits reside in the trees, offering them protection and wisdom. The Baobab is vital to the Hadzabe People, as it stores water, produces nutrient-rich fruit, and contains large beehives that have been harvested for centuries. The Hadzabe also eat the Baobab's green leaves during food shortages and use several parts of the tree for medicinal purposes.
Photo by danna § curious tangles.
The Cedar Tree Among the Coast Salish
The Western Red Cedar, or Thuja plicata, is known as the Tree of Life to the Coast Salish people of the Pacific Northwest. This versatile tree provides them with materials to build homes, canoes, and totem poles, while its bark is used for clothing and baskets. The Coast Salish Peoples’ sustainable use of the cedar demonstrates their deep ecological knowledge and stewardship, ensuring that future generations will continue to benefit from this vital resource.
Top photo by - bjornsphoto -.
