Jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.)

The wood is light brown in colour, has medium strength and hardness characteristics, and machines and finishes well. Pine is used for pulp and paper, newsprint, lumber and fuelwood, and for treated wood products such as railway ties, posts and poles. Jack pine is the most common conifer found in Saskatchewan and is a popular brand for Christmas trees. Traditional Native Uses Wood: canoe frames, sleds, fishnet floats, and shelters Pitch: caulking Cones: tanning agent

Balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.)

Balsam fir is similar to spruce in most physical characteristics, although fir is less resilient and has lower strength properties than spruce. Balsam fir is used for many of the same purposes as spruce and is graded and marketed in the species grouping spruce-pine-fir. Balsam fir makes a good Christmas tree. Wood: canoe paddles and shelter Pitch: medicinal uses Leaves: tea, incense and perfume

Tamarack or larch (Larix laricina (Du Roi) K. Koch)

Tamarack is not in great demand, partly because of its limited availability. The wood is moderately hard and heavy, is somewhat oily, and tends to have a spiral grain that makes it undesirable for most lumber uses. Nevertheless, its strength, durability and moderate resistance to decay, make it well suited to use as floor planking, building skids, pilings, posts and poles. Traditional Native Uses Wood: toboggans, canoe paddles and snowshoe frames Wood-fire: tanning and smoking hides, and drying and smoking fish

Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl.)

Lodgepole pine wood is almost white and is soft and straight-grained, and exhibits a fine uniform texture. The wood is of medium strength, seasons readily, takes a good finish, and yields a good grade of small, tight-knotted lumber similar to that of jack pine. It is used for pulp and paper, lumber and fuelwood; when treated it is used for railway ties, posts and poles. In Saskatchewan, lodgepole pine is found only in the Cypress Hills area in the southwestern part of the province, which is its most easterly range in Canada. Traditional Native Uses Wood: poles for tipi frames and travois poles

White and black spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss and Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.)

White and black spruce are nearly indistinguishable in their wood structure. The wood is light coloured, has low weight when dried, is soft, resilient and straight-grained, and has good machining properties. Both species are in great demand for pulp, paper and newsprint manufacturing because of their long fibres and low resin content. The wood is highly valued for plywood and lumber, which is used in all forms of building construction and general millwork. Spruce is both Saskatchewan's and Canada's most important wood species in terms of volume harvested. Traditional Native Uses Wood: canoe frames and paddles, arrow shafts, fishnet floats, drying racks, pelt stretchers and tipi frames Roots: twine and cord Bark: canoe covering, cooking baskets, and roofing Pitch: glue, waterproofing and caulking materials and chewing gum Other uses: shelters, medicines and boughs for bedding and mats