Making a traditional birchbark canoe

Two weeks ago Halin de Repentigny and Joe Migwans went into the forest to harvest birchbark.

Earlier this week Halin, Joe and many helpers arrived at the tents to start building the birchbark canoe.  Halin’s daughter Rosa is working on the canoe with him, doing much of the work cleaning and splitting spruce roots that are used to tie the canoe together. Halin started by building a base frame and cutting sheets of bark.

 

The sides took shape quickly, and then the real work started. Using roots, a small army of helpers is sewing the canoe together. Now it has gunnels and thwarts, and is starting to look like a canoe!

It’s just one more week until the boats are competed for Adaka Cultural Festival. Check in regularly as the birchbark canoe is in its final stages.