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This is a picture taken by Edward S. Curtis when he visited the Quw’utsun’ mustimuhw in 1913. Ruby Peter — Sti’tum’at explains the picture in Hul’q’umi’num’.
Arbutus is a somewhat unusual tree because of its bark, which naturally peels off and away from the trunk and branches. This small to medium-sized tree has evergreen leaves and white flowers that appear in large, drooping clusters. The fruits are orange-red berries. Arbutus grows on dry, sunny, frequently rocky sites throughout the southern coast of British Columbia and the southeastern part of Vancouver Island.
The leaves or inner bark of arbutus may be chewed for toothache and stomach problems.
