Roses made of cedar bark are an tradition First-Nations crafting technique within the Pacific Northwest, including for Lingit people. Cedar bark strips that have been soaked are then folded into golden roses, which dry hard and light.
In Alaska Public Media’s current community-based reporting project on well-being the reporter Rachel Cassandra talked to Frank Hughes in Kake which is a village located in Southeast Alaska. Frank Hughes and his wife have planted hundreds of roses over the many years. He says he’s found that they possess a special therapeutic effect.
Here is the transcribing:
Frank Hughes: My name is Frank Hughes. I’m retired. It’s Lingit along with Aleut. I’m an Eagle clan killer whale Dakl’aweidi. I’ve been within Kake in the month of May since 1986. I was in the Army from 1975 to 1983.
I’m a disabled veteran and have hearing loss due to service ringing in my ears continuously. It doesn’t seem to go away.
It bothers me at times since I’m hearing it constantly. It also affects who I am. Because I struggle to hear. I hear people communicating with me. I’m not able to hear what they’re trying say, particularly if I’m behind them.
We take the bark off the tree. There’s yellow and red cedar. We make use of what’s in stock. Most of the time, my wife receives the best stuff, and I take the rest. It’s my personality and I create things from it.
Most likely in 2010 my wife and I were creating roses. We were planning to sell them to tourists to keep us engaged. Then suddenly, I’m sitting in my seat. I’m able to see the water. Then, as I began building the bouquet, I began declaring, “There it goes.” I made a comment that said, “It’s gone.” She then asked, “What?”
I told myself, “The ringing in my ears has stopped.” Then I began to pick it up.
Then I thought in my head, “This is nice. It’s really beautiful.”
Then I put it away and picked up another like it. Then, all of a sudden I gathered about 20. I told myself, “I’ve never felt this great in such a long period of period of. This makes me feel happy.”
When I’m making roses, that’s the only relief I can get.
When I was telling my wife, I told her “When I’m producing these flowers Don’t be a bother to me. Don’t bother me with anything similar to this. Only in the event of an emergency like when the house is burning, or a earthquake occurs or a tidal surge — then I’m not going to bother you. However, other than that that it’s only a matter of two minutes and all other things is a matter of time.”
This is one of those things that, again, is the only relief I feel and no one else has the ability to experience it. Everyone else doesn’t hear the sound, however we do discuss it. In two minutes keep me from bothering you.
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Frank has informed his doctor about his experiences and they have advised that if it’s working then keep trying it. They can’t explain the phenomenon.
This story was made in the context of Alaska Public Media’s Community Wellness Project, a partnership with Alaskans in rural areas to talk about what health is to them. Certain stories are written by members of the community who act as citizen journalists. In contrast to other journalism projects, participants can participate on the editing process, and they give their consent for the version they want to publish. Interviewees may receive a small amount of compensation to share their expertise and time. Citizen reporters earn money for their time and effort. This project is financed through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
