NW (USA & Canada) Coastal Indians used Western Red Cedar as one of their basic raw materials. The wood was used for houses, canoes, and art in the form of masks and totem poles. They stripped the bark of the tree and shredded the cambium layer to make cloth, sleeping/floor mats, and rope and fishing line. My question is, has anyone on this forum used the fiber as a bow backing? It seems it may be in the same league as flax? It comes off the tree in long 10-12 strips. I was thinking that it could be used wet and stretched on like rawhide, or it could be shredded and applied like sinew. Has anyone tried this?
Keith