All throughout North America there are trees that are peculiarly bent out of shape, but they are not some quirks of nature. Rather, they were intentionally shaped by the Native Americans so that they could be easily recognized. They are called Trail Marker Trees, and the natives used them as a marking system to denote areas of importance such as sources of food and water, or as navigational aids and landmarks that helped guide the indigenous people along the safest route in their journeys. The Trail Marker Trees differed in their appearance and formation from tribe to tribe and from region to region, but the most characteristics form is a sharp bend low on the trunk and horizontal to the ground and a second sharp bend upward, like the one shown in the picture below. Examples of these trees have been found all across the United States and throughout Canada.
-Amusing Planet
