With a flip of a switch, Catcuce “Coche” Tiger, a 9-year-old citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians from North Carolina, set the 78-foot U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree aglow on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol during the Nov. 29 annual lighting ceremony of “The People’s Tree.”
The festivities included Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who presided over the ceremony, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton, members of the North Carolina Delegation Senator Richard Burr, Representative David Price, and Representative Patrick McHenry; and USDA Forest Service Chief Randy Moore.
The Forest Service harvested the red spruce from the Pisgah National Forest in the mountains of western North Carolina. The tree affectionately nicknamed “Ruby,” is part of a 52-year tradition of providing a tree from a national forest to the U.S. Capitol. The tree made a 1,500-mile journey on a flat-bed trailer from the highest elevation of Southern Appalachia, visiting communities across North Carolina and Virginia, to arrive in Washington, D.C. at the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. The tree is decorated with ornaments made by residents of North Carolina.
“The theme for the tree this year is ‘From the Mountains to the Sea,’ which is a reminder of the tremendous natural and cultural diversity in North Carolina, from the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests in the mountains, to the Uwharrie National Forest in the Piedmont, to the Croatan National Forest on the Coastal Plain,” said Chief Moore during the lighting ceremony.
The tree also honors the sovereign nation of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, which helped to bring the tree to the nation’s capital this year. Coche Tiger, a 9-year-old from Cherokee, North Carolina, and a citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, told a story from the Cherokee tradition that explains why evergreen trees stay green in the winter.
“When all the trees, plants and animals were created, they were asked to stay awake to fast and pray for seven nights to honor Unetlanvhi.” said Tiger. “Of the trees, the spruce, like Ruby, the pine, the cedar, the holly, the hemlock, and the laurel were still awake to the end. Unetlanvhi gave these trees the ability to keep their leaves and stay green all year long, and the power to be medicine for the Cherokee people. Therefore, these trees are sacred and used for medicine by the Cherokee people to this day.”
After captivating the crowd with the story, Coche joined the North Carolina delegation, the speaker, and the Chief to light the tree. The sparkling lights came on to cheers, applause, and the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Band’s rendition of “O Christmas Tree.”
Now that the tree has been lit, it remains on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol throughout the holidays for residents and visitors alike to view and enjoy.
But Ruby’s journey doesn’t end on the West Lawn. Some of the previous Capitol Christmas Trees have been turned into mulch to use on the Capitol Grounds to benefit the diverse flora growing across the iconic Olmstead landscape. Other Capitol Christmas Trees, including Ruby, take a different path.
For example, about four feet of the 2021 U.S. Capitol Christmas tree, an 84-foot white spruce from Six Rivers National Forest, became serving trays. The rest of the tree, dubbed “Sugar Bear,” has gone through a milling process and will eventually become tables.
What will become of Ruby? Red spruce is known in the music industry as “Adirondack spruce” and favored for its light weight, stiffness and tonal quality perfect for stringed instruments. So, Ruby will get a second life in the form of guitars and banjos.
The guitar and the banjo are central to the musical heritage of the people of North Carolina. The instruments made from Ruby will return to North Carolina and be donated to nonprofits that are carrying on the long musical tradition of the Tar Heel State.
“Ruby will pass through the hands of local instrument makers, each imprinting their own styles, musical influences, and expertise upon the wood,” said James Melonas, forest supervisor for the National Forests in North Carolina. “Not only will these instruments sound beautiful, but they will echo these stories for generations to come across North Carolina.”
The Architect of the Capitol’s website has information about the longstanding Capitol Christmas Tree tradition. To see Ruby’s journey, visit the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree website. To see the tree in person this holiday season, visit the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol.