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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’.
Red alder is a deciduous tree that can reach 25 m (82 ft) in height. It has thin, smooth, grey bark that often appears to be splotchy due to the presence of lichen colonies. The wood and inner bark turn red when cut. The fruits are born in small, woody cone-like structures that superficially resemble pine cones. Red alder grows in moist and recently cleared areas at low elevations. It is widely distributed along the coast.
Red alder bark may be boiled to yield a dye or to be used as medicine. The wood may be used for smoking fish
