Building A Birch Bark Canoe

Possibly the single most identifiable artifact created by the Woodland Indian cultures
was the remarkable watercraft of the birch bark canoe. In the geographic area of New
England and the country surrounding the Great Lakes, this craft was an important
mode of transport among the many lakes and streams, and its typically light weight
made it eminently suitable for portage-carries, Although other forest species
sometimes contributed to the construction of aboriginal canoes, two species were
almost universally used for construction, and these, fortunately for the forest people,
normally grew in abundance in their homeland. Canoe builders nonetheless often
took several days to locate just the right white birch tree for sturdy bark, thick enough
survive normal bumps and scrapes, yet supple enough to permit the bending and
shaping of the canoe skin. They also were keenly aware of straight, knot-free white
cedar (arbor vitae), which was almost exclusively used for the wooden parts of these
boats: the ribs, planking, gunwales, thwarts, and prow pieces. This wood had the
desirable qualities of light weight, flexibility, and resistance to damp rot: admirably
suited to water-craft construction.

Fifty years ago,there were few birch-bark canoe builders remaining in North
America—even fewer in the United States, but that was when Richard Schneider
undertook to build one from scratch himself, and record the experience. This book
describes the procedures and processes, as well as the problems of constructing the
12-foot vessel. Typical of all texts by Schneider, everything here is well documented,
with ample illustrations by the author. Whether you intend to build one yourself, or
simply want to know how it was done, this is the book!

2020 reprint of the original 2000 edition. 46 pages, 6 by 9 format, 29 illustrations. Paper.