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Canoes: A Natural History in North America

Mark Neuzil and Norman Sims 2016
This is the story of the canoe, that singular American artifact so little changed over time. Featured here are canoes old and new, from birch bark to dugout to carbon fiber; the people who made them; and the adventures they shared. With features of technology, industry, art, and survival, the canoe carries us deep into the natural and cultural history of North America.

Follow author Mark Neuzil on Twitter: @mrneuzil

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  • 9780816681174 (hardcover)
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  • Native American Studies
  • Regional Studies
  • Cultural Studies
  • History
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A color photograph of four birch-bark canoes in the water near rocks and grass on the shore.

Birchbarks at Batchewang

From Chapter 2: Birch-Bark Canoes

Birchbarks at Batchewang, 2012.

A color photograph of Erik Simula working on a birch-bark canoe.

Erik Simula Working

From Chapter 2: Birch-Bark Canoes

Contemporary birch-bark builder Erik Simula working on a bark canoe in 2009.

A color photograph of Erik Simula's canoe in the water, tied near the shore and packed with gear. His dog stands on a log by the shore.

Erik Simula's Canoe and Dog

From Chapter 2: Birch-Bark Canoes

Erik Simula's canoe, Nama, and his dog, Kitigan, at Mountain Lake in the Arrowhead Region of Minnesota.

Solitary paddler sits in a birch-bark canoe at Moose Factory, Ontario.

Solitary Paddler at Moose Factory

From Chapter 2: Birch-Bark Canoes

Solitary paddler sits in a birch-bark canoe at Moose Factory, Ontario.

A color photograph of a model of a Beothuk canoe with two paddles and a pole.

Edwin Tappan Adney's Model of a Beothuk Canoe

From Chapter 2: Birch-Bark Canoes

Edwin Tappan Adney's model of a Beothuk Canoe.

A photograph of three outer hulls of birch-bark canoes, decorated with silhouettes, symbols, animals, and shapes.

Decorated Birch-Bark Hulls

From Chapter 2: Birch-Bark Canoes

The outer hulls of bark canoes were often engraved with symbols, animal silhouettes, and geometric shapes. Bark collected in the winter was purportedly better for such etchings than summer bark. Edwin Tappan Adney featured these designs on a canoe built in Old Town, Maine and exhibited at the New York Sportsman’s Show in 1897.

A black-and-white photograph of a couple in a canoe. Several boxes and packages are being transported in the canoe as well.

Kutenai Canoe

From Chapter 2: Birch-Bark Canoes

Phyllop Peter and his wife paddle a Kutenai canoe on Kootenay Lake in 1922.

A color photograph of a forest of birch trees.

Birch Forest

From Chapter 2: Birch-Bark Canoes

Birch trees at Bognor Marsh near Georgian Bay off Lake Huron.

The Ojibwe (also called Chippewa) built different styles of canoes, including this distinctive long-nose model.

Long-Nose Canoe

From Chapter 2: Birch-Bark Canoes

The Ojibwe (also called Chippewa) built different styles of canoes, including this distinctive long-nose model.

Birch-bark baskets, like this Ojibwe example from Grand Portage, are used for winnowing wild rice.

Birch-Bark Basket

From Chapter 2: Birch-Bark Canoes

Birch-bark baskets, like this Ojibwe example from Grand Portage, are used for winnowing wild rice.

A black-and-white photograph of two women making birch-bark containers on the ground outside.

Mary Bigwind & Maggie Skinaway

From Chapter 2: Birch-Bark Canoes

Birch had a number of uses for native tribes. Two Ojibwe women, Mary Bigwind and Maggie Skinaway, make birch vessels for maple sap, which could be made into syrup, supplying the tribe with its sugar.

A color photograph of a birch-bark canoe.

Birch-Bark Canoe

From Chapter 2: Birch-Bark Canoes

The Cree were excellent birch-bark builders, as seen in this boat dating from the period 1875–1900.

A color photograph of a grove of spruce trees in the winter. Snow is on the ground.

Black Spruce Trees

From Chapter 2: Birch-Bark Canoes

Black spruce trees, from which roots were grubbed and made into sewing materials, are plentiful in northern and northeastern forests near birch trees.

A black-and-white photograph depicting the process of building a birch-bark canoe. Stakes are in the ground forming an outline of a canoe. Bark is arranged to form canoe walls. Several figures are in the photograph working on this project.

Setting a Frame

From Chapter 2: Birch-Bark Canoes

The setting of a frame for a birch-bark canoe involved preparing the ground, driving in stakes, and sliding in the bark and attaching a frame in the general shape of the boat. Photograph taken ca. 1885 at an Ojibwe camp.

A black-and-white photograph of two figures. A line is cut down the center of the downed log and they are peeling the bark from the tree.

Splitting the Bark

From Chapter 2: Birch-Bark Canoes

Splitting the bark from a down tree took a light touch and patience.

A black-and-white photograph of a figure holding a roll of birch bark on their back.

Rolling the Bark

From Chapter 2: Birch-Bark Canoes

Native builders would roll the stripped birch bark into a backpack of sorts, secure it with roots, and carry it back to the canoe-making camp. This individual with the pack is identified as Cheemaun of an Ojibwe tribe in Wisconsin.

A color photograph of a birch-bark pouch and several chunks of hardened spruce gum.

Spruce Gum Pouch

From Chapter 2: Birch-Bark Canoes

A tray or pouch made of birch bark was used to carry hardened pieces of specially prepared spruce gum (sap mixed with animal fat and ash), which could be chewed or heated and used to repair canoes when on a trip.

A color photograph of a figure cooking balsam fir pitch in an iron pan over an open flame.

Balsam Fir Pitch

From Chapter 2: Birch-Bark Canoes

By the mid-twentieth century, native builders were working to pass on their knowledge before the skills were lost.

A black-and-white photograph of a figure using a crooked knife to carve a piece of wood.

Crooked Knife

From Chapter 2: Birch-Bark Canoes

A crooked knife was an essential tool in the shaping of ribs, sheathing, thwarts, and other parts of the canoe.

In 1939, Ojibwe tribal members at Grand Portage, near the border between the United States and Canada on Lake Superior, completed a birch-bark canoe in the traditional manner as part of a Works Progress Administration arts program. Here a headboard is installed.

Installing the Headboard

From Chapter 2: Birch-Bark Canoes

In 1939, Ojibwe tribal members at Grand Portage, near the border between the United States and Canada on Lake Superior, completed a birch-bark canoe in the traditional manner as part of a Works Progress Administration arts program. Here a headboard is installed.

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