"Totem poles, canoes and other ceremonial carvings employed giant arborvitae; the latter word translates as ???tree of life.??? Nootka cypress???also known as Alaska cypress, and named for the Nootka tribe (now known as the Nuu-cha-nulth) from the area known as Nootka Sound???has played an important role in native culture of the Pacific Northwest." . . . . .