A real birch bark canoe

[jrm53]

A couple of weeks ago I ran across this web site and found it very interesting. It shows a Cree indian building a bark canoe, this runs 57 minutes and shows how they built trade canoes and travel canoes. I always wondered why they didnt step through the bottom If you like canoes like I do this is a great film. César's Bark Canoe by Bernard Gosselin - NFB PS the film was done in 1971 when Cesar was 67 years old. Jeff

 

[HAWKEYE10]

Very good video but I watched it all and loved it. Don

 

[ogilvyspecial]

I have had that video in VHS format for years. I think it was the first Christmas after I got it that I put in it the machine just as everybody was about to get ready to leave our house (Family gathering.) I did this because it has no dialog and thought some might find it interesting, boy did they!

All of the men were in the room with the TV and it wasn't too long before the women started asking, "I thought you were ready to go?" The common answer from the men was, "You need to come and watch this guy build a canoe!"

I have many other Canoe Building videos but I think Cesar is my favorite. He knew what he was doing eh?

 

[jkc]

Those interested in the subject will probably enjoy reading John McPhee's Survival of the Bark Canoe, in which the estimable McPhee chronicles a young man's enthusiastic effort to build, and then use a birch bark canoe on an expedition in which McPhee himself participates. A typically excellent example of McPhee's non-fiction work.

 

[reddogge]

I read the McPhee book 25 years ago, hilarious, educational, and entertaining.