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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’.
Amabilis fir, grand fir (pictured), and subalpine fir are tall, flat-needled, cone-bearing trees. Amabilis fir grows most commonly in moist forest sites, on deep, well-drained soils along most of the coastal region of the province. Grand fir grows in middle–to upper–elevation coniferous forests along a more restricted portion of the southern coast. It is often associated with amabilis fir. Subalpine firs occur at higher elevations within the Hul’q’umi’num’ territories. Most or all of the ethnobotanical data provided here may refer to grand fir rather than amabilis fir.
Fir trees (probably both species listed), known locally as “balsam,” have pitchy bark that may be used for medicinal purposes.
