The Old Arrow Tree was remembered as a tall, straight redwood whose bark held twigs, arrows, or feathers left by people as they passed. Two traditions explain the custom. In one, Indigenous people honored the tree as a great warrior, and placing arrows into it showed respect. In the other, the tree recalled a war between the Hoopa and Korbel tribes; after the Korbel victory, Indians passing by left an arrow to show they came in peace. The tree’s significance lies in these traditions linking it to honor, memory, and peaceful passage.