Canoes: A Natural History in North America

Neuzil, Mark; Sims, Norman

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

A black-and-white portrait of Zahniser sitting in a mountain landscape.

Howard Zahniser

From Chapter 7: The Human-Powered Movement

Howard Zahniser was a significant figure in the American environmental movement in the 1950s and 1960s. His work on the Wilderness Act of 1964—he is credited with writing most of it—was instrumental in its final passage.

President Johnson signs the Wilderness Act on September 3, 1964.

Wilderness Act of 1964

From Chapter 7: The Human-Powered Movement

President Lyndon Johnson signs the Wilderness Act on September 3, 1964.

A map of rivers protected by the 1968 act.

National Wild and Scenic River System

From Chapter 7: The Human-Powered Movement

The National Wild and Scenic River system, signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson in 1968, is an attempt to protect U.S. rivers in their natural state from development as much as possible. More than 12,500 miles of rivers have such protection.

The Missouri National Recreation River

From Chapter 7: The Human-Powered Movement

The Missouri National Recreation River, established in 1964, is administered by the U.S. National Park Service.

Canoes: A Natural History in North America

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Wilderness Act of 1964

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The Missouri National Recreation River