Mi’kmaq birch bark canoes are unique when compared to birch bark canoes across Canada. The distinctive difference is often seen in the shape of each end of the canoe and the usage of only one gunwale.
When compared to modern canoe building the traditional building of a birch bark canoe is done opposite to the modern way. You start from the outside and work in, with the ribs being one of the last steps to completing the canoe.
Canoe bark was collected off of both white and black (or grey) birch. The bark is one of many factors to consider when you build a canoe and the most challenging.
The construction of a birch bark canoe involves many raw materials collected from the forest. Once the bark is harvested, spruce root is gathered to sew pieces of bark to each other and to the gunwale. On average 700 feet of root is needed for a 16 foot birch bark canoe.
When prepared properly spruce roots are as strong if not stronger then some ropes. Traditionally tamarack/hackmatack or black spruce was used for the ribs of the canoe, sometimes referred to as the canoe “knees”. Today eastern white cedar is used for the ribs and planking because of its light weight.
Lastly spruce was used for the gunwale and gunwale cap, with wooden pegs made from hardwoods to connect the gunwale cap to the gunwale. The addition of a gunwale cap allowed some protection and prevention of breakage from paddles for the hundreds of feet of spruce roots that wrapped around the gunwale of the canoe.
Traditionally canoes were built in the summer time on sandy or gravel beds under the heat of the sun.
Once the shell of the birch bark canoe is created, with the bark sewn together and to the gunwale, planking is inserted to allow a layer of protection between the ribs and the bark. The ribs are friction fit between the gunwale and the bark. The insertion of ribs requires many days and the heat of the sun.
Hundreds of pounds of weight is needed to hold in place the birch bark pieces and the gunwale as the canoe is being constructed.
After the ribs are placed in fully, the seams of the canoe where bark meets bark and the ends are sealed with a pitch. The traditional pitch was made from bear grease, hardwood ashes and spruce gum.
The Mi’kmaq birch bark canoe, when properly built, is said to outlast its builder. The knowledge behind building is not easily obtained from a book and historical documents often have misleading and incorrect accounts of how to build one.
When compared to modern canoe building the traditional building of a birch bark canoe is done opposite to the modern way. You start from the outside and work in, with the ribs being one of the last steps to completing the canoe.
Canoe bark was collected off of both white and black (or grey) birch. The bark is one of many factors to consider when you build a canoe and the most challenging.
The construction of a birch bark canoe involves many raw materials collected from the forest. Once the bark is harvested, spruce root is gathered to sew pieces of bark to each other and to the gunwale. On average 700 feet of root is needed for a 16 foot birch bark canoe.
When prepared properly spruce roots are as strong if not stronger then some ropes. Traditionally tamarack/hackmatack or black spruce was used for the ribs of the canoe, sometimes referred to as the canoe “knees”. Today eastern white cedar is used for the ribs and planking because of its light weight.
Lastly spruce was used for the gunwale and gunwale cap, with wooden pegs made from hardwoods to connect the gunwale cap to the gunwale. The addition of a gunwale cap allowed some protection and prevention of breakage from paddles for the hundreds of feet of spruce roots that wrapped around the gunwale of the canoe.
Traditionally canoes were built in the summer time on sandy or gravel beds under the heat of the sun.
Once the shell of the birch bark canoe is created, with the bark sewn together and to the gunwale, planking is inserted to allow a layer of protection between the ribs and the bark. The ribs are friction fit between the gunwale and the bark. The insertion of ribs requires many days and the heat of the sun.
Hundreds of pounds of weight is needed to hold in place the birch bark pieces and the gunwale as the canoe is being constructed.
After the ribs are placed in fully, the seams of the canoe where bark meets bark and the ends are sealed with a pitch. The traditional pitch was made from bear grease, hardwood ashes and spruce gum.
The Mi’kmaq birch bark canoe, when properly built, is said to outlast its builder. The knowledge behind building is not easily obtained from a book and historical documents often have misleading and incorrect accounts of how to build one.
