If you ever come across a bent tree in the forest, don’t just walk past it. Take a closer look and you might discover a fascinating piece of history. In the past, when people had to navigate through dense forests without the help of maps or GPS, they had to come up with clever strategies to mark their paths. One such strategy involved bending trees to serve as trail markers. But how did they do it? And how can you tell if a tree was bent by nature or by humans?
Unraveling the Secrets
Native Americans were the masters of this ancient technique. They would take a small fragment of a tree, plant it in an opening, and let it grow around the fragment. Over time, the tree would bend and take on an unusual shape. But not all bent trees were man-made. Some trees naturally grow in peculiar shapes due to the forces of nature. So how did the Native Americans distinguish between the two?
The Telltale Signs
Native American-bent trees have a distinctive feature – a nose or a notch that protrudes at the end of the bend. If you spot a tree with this characteristic, chances are it was shaped by human hands. Another clue to look for is the scars left by the straps that held the trees in place when they were young. These details can help you identify which trees were altered by humans.
Landmarks of the Past
According to the American Forests website, there are peculiarly shaped trees scattered all across the United States. These trees, known as “trail trees,” served as permanent markers to guide native people through rugged terrain. They pointed the way to food, water, and other significant locations. While some of these trees may just be oddities of nature, many of them were intentionally bent by Native Americans to create these trail markers.
Respecting Our History
Today, these trail trees are over 150 years old, if not older. They might not be necessary for us to navigate anymore, but their significance to history is priceless. The Mountain Stewards website was created with the purpose of protecting and preserving these historic trees. It has identified and documented over 1,000 twisted trees across the nation. These trees are a testament to the ingenuity and resourcefulness of the Native Americans who came before us.
Watch the video below to delve deeper into this fascinating piece of history and the stories these crooked trees have to tell. Let’s cherish and respect these natural landmarks that have stood the test of time.
