In Memory Of Elijah Harper….Honouring Him With Blue Rodeo’s ‘Fools Like You’….But How Much Longer Will We Have To Suffer Fools

Elijah Harper (born March 3, 1949 – May 17th 2013) was an Oji-Cree Canadian politician and band chief of Red Sucker Lake First Nation.

Elijah Harper passed away this morning and his passing shook the Nations capitol, just like his decision to say no to the Meech Lake Accord shook the foundation of this country they call Canada.

From http://www.nationmedia.ca/elijahharper/bio.html:

Elijah, about 6 years old, in Red Sucker Lake

Elijah Harper was born on March 3, 1949 at Red Sucker Lake in northeastern Manitoba, the son of Allan B. and Ethel Harper. He was educated at residential schools in Norway House, Brandon and Birtle, Manitoba. He attended secondary school at Garden Hill and Winnipeg; in 1971 and 1972, he studied at the University of Manitoba. Later, he worked as a community development worker, supervisor for the Manitoba Indian Brotherhood, and program analyst for the Manitoba Department of Northern Affairs.

In 1978, at the age of 29, he was elected chief of the Red Sucker Lake Indian Band (now Red Sucker Lake First Nation). In 1981, he was elected as Member of Legislative Assembly for the Rupertsland constituency, a position he held for the next 11 years. In 1986, he was appointed to cabinet as Minister Without Portfolio Responsible for Native Affairs, and in 1987, as Minister of Northern Affairs.

In 1990 while sitting as opposition member in the Manitoba Legislature, he blocked the Canadian constitutional amendment known as the Meech Lake Accord. He cited the lack of adequate participation and recognition of Aboriginal people in that process. Later that year, he won the Stanley Knowles Humanitarian Award – the same presented to Nelson Mandela of South Africa. He was also voted as the Newsmaker of the Year in Canada for 1990 by the Canadian Press.

Also in 1990, the Red Sucker Lake First Nation bestowed him the title of Honourary Chief for Life. In the same year, he received the commemorative medal of Canada from the Governor General as a result of his dedication and work in public service. He resigned from the Legislative Assembly (Manitoba) in 1992, and in 1993, was elected as Member of Parliament for the Churchill constituency in northern Manitoba, one of the largest electoral districts in Canada.

His international work has taken him to Great Britain, the International Court of Justice at The Hague, the European Parliament in France, South Africa, South America (Brazil and Chile), and numerous places in the United States. In 1992, he attended the launching of the International Decade for Indigenous Peoples at the United Nations in New York, as well as the Declaration of International Indigenous Day in the same city in 1997. In 1996, he went to the Moral Rearmament (an international peace organization) Jubilee Anniversary in Caux, Switzerland, and later attended meetings on Reconciliation in both Australia and New Zealand. He continues to be a strong advocate for indigenous and human rights.

In December 1995, Mr. Harper called for a Sacred Assembly for promoting Aboriginal justice through spiritual reconciliation and healing between non- and Aboriginal peoples. The Sacred Assembly was successful in bringing together many people from across Canada and represented the elders, women, youth, political and spiritual leaders in all faiths. As a result of the Sacred Assembly, the Canadian government, through the Governor General, declared June 21st as National Aboriginal Day to recognize Aboriginal people in Canada.

He was awarded the National Aboriginal Achievement Award in 1996, and the Order of Merit from St. Paul’s University in May 1998 (Canadian Institute of Conflict Resolution). Other awards include the Order of the Sash from the Manitoba Métis Federation, and the Gold Eagle Award, an outstanding citizen recognition from the Indigenous Women’s Collective in Manitoba.

In January 1998, he was appointed by the Privy Council as Commissioner for the Indian Claims Commission; he resigned in October 2000. He is now an activist, promoting human and Aboriginal rights, a registered lobbyist/consultant/advisor to Aboriginal organizations, a public speaker, and involved in charitable work with World Vision in Tanzania, Kenya and the Republic of China (Taiwan).

 

As Richard Wagamese wrote on Facebook:

Elijah Harper taught us that No meant Yes. No to government overstepping and overlooking our legitimate concerns and aspirations and Yes to our own empowerment, sovereignty, Indigeneity, cultures, traditions, ceremonies, languages, spirituality and our collective ongoing journey to the ultimate expression of ourselves as distinct peoples. Journey on, brother, thanks for the blessings….

CBC News reported (http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/story/2013/05/17/mb-elijah-harper-dies-winnipeg.html):

Elijah Harper, key player in Meech Lake accord, dies at 64

Ex-Manitoba MLA, MP and political maverick died of cardiac failure related to diabetes

Elijah Harper, a former Manitoba MLA and MP who was a key player in defeating the Meech Lake accord, has died at the age of 64.

Harper died early Friday in Ottawa as a result of cardiac failure due to diabetes complications, according to a statement released by his family.

Harper achieved national fame in 1990 by holding an eagle feather as he stood in the Manitoba legislature and refused to support the Meech Lake accord, effectively blocking the constitutional amendment package negotiated to gain Quebec’s acceptance of the Constitution Act of 1982.

Harper protested that the proposed accord was negotiated in 1987 without the input of Canada’s aboriginal peoples.

The accord required ratification by all 10 provincial legislatures and Parliament, and Harper’s action prevented Manitoba from doing so before the deadline.

Newfoundland followed by cancelling its free vote in the legislature.

Family says Harper ‘a true leader and visionary’

His wife, Anita Olsen Harper, his children and the family said in the statement that Harper “was a wonderful man, father, partner. He was a true leader and visionary in every sense of the word.”

The statement added: “He will have a place in Canadian history, forever, for his devotion to public service and uniting his fellow First Nations with pride, determination and resolve. Elijah will also be remembered for bringing aboriginal and non-aboriginal people together to find a spiritual basis for healing and understanding. We will miss him terribly and love him forever.”

Born on the Red Sucker Lake First Nation, about 710 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, Harper attended residential schools in Norway House, Brandon and Birtle, and then secondary schools at Garden Hill and Winnipeg.

He studied at the University of Manitoba and began his long career in public service when he was elected chief of his community at the young age of 29.

In 1981, Harper was elected as an NDP member of the Manitoba legislative assembly for Rupertsland, an office he held for 11 years. He was the first person elected from a First Nation to serve as an MLA.

In 1993, Harper was elected for one term as a Liberal member of Parliament for the Churchill riding. In January 1998, he served a term as commissioner for the Indian Claims Commission.

He was also bestowed with the title of honorary chief for life by the Red Sucker Lake First Nation.

Brought aboriginal issues to forefront

Gary Filmon, who was premier of Manitoba at the time of the Meech Lake vote, recalled Harper telling him in advance that he had decided to block the accord.

“I felt his sincerity and I believed that he was doing what he felt he had to do and that he was not representing just himself — he was representing First Nations and aboriginal people from coast to coast,” Filmon told CBC News.

“He certainly has left an impact on our province and our country. [There's] no question that his position on Meech Lake brought First Nation and aboriginal issues into the forefront.”

On a personal note, Filmon remembered Harper for his great sense of humour.

“He often had a new joke to tell in his own shy way. He’d get up and have the room roaring. So he was a very likable person,” he said.

Grand Chief David Harper of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, an organization that represents northern Manitoba First Nations, applauded Harper’s stand on Meech Lake and his efforts to ensure aboriginal voices were heard in Ottawa.

“First Nations has to be up front and centre in the political landscape of this land. That’s where he was and, for sure, he’s going to be missed,” he said.

The ‘screech on Meech’

Perry Bellegarde, chief of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, called Harper’s death “a big loss for our people. He was one of our strong leaders across Canada and he’ll be sadly missed.”

“We always say he put the screech on the Meech. He halted the Meech Lake Accord because First Nations governments were left out, you know?” Bellegarde said.

“The Meech Lake accord was an attempt to appease the Quebec government and the distinct society and recognition of nationhood and sovereignty for the Quebec province and everything else there.

“And then we felt as indigenous people, if they recognize Quebec [then] we can’t be excluded as indigenous peoples because we have the inherent right to self-government, self-determination even more so as indigenous people than Quebec. So Elijah basically said no, because they needed unanimous consent from all the MLAs and all the provincial governments across Canada. And he stood up for our people and said no.

“The perseverance and the strength and honour and dignity with which he carried himself in the face of much pressure and adversity that he was strong enough to stand up for our people. He’ll be a role model and he’s going to be sadly missed.

“I just pray for his family, I pray for his community for strength at this hard time and for his spirit to have that good quick safe journey to the place we all want to get to.”

Assembly of First Nations statement

“On behalf of the Assembly of First Nations national executive, I offer sincere condolences to the family, friends and all First Nations in Manitoba region and across Canada mourning the loss of a tireless and courageous leader of our peoples,” AFN National Chief Shawn Shawn Atleo said in a statement released to the media.

“Elijah’s commitment and dedication to asserting and upholding First Nation rights and recognition has helped lay a solid foundation as this hard work continues today.

“Leading two sacred assemblies focused on finding a spiritual basis for healing and understanding between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, Elijah’s drive and actions toward reconciliation will continue to be a legacy for First Nation and all Canadians as we move toward improved and renewed relationships based on mutual respect and recognition — two things he stood firm on in all of his work.”

Elijah Harper’s funeral will take place at 10 a.m. on May 20 at the Aboriginal Funeral Chapel in Winnipeg.

In honour of Elijah Harper, I thought I’d post a Blue Rodeo song. “Fools Like You” was originally written for Brian Mulroney after the Oka Crisis of 1990. The song is also a commendation to Elijah Harper for standing up in the Manitoba Legislature with his eagle feather and having the courage to say no to the Meech Lake Accord.

It is sad to think that nothing much has changed and the voice of Aboriginal peoples is still being ignored by our government. If we had had a different Harper for PM….Elijah instead of Stephen….things would be very different. Rest in peace Elijah….you are missed….and truly honoured….but our thoughts and prayers go with you now as you travel on.

 

So good at doing

What you don’t do

Just trying to protect yourself

And other fools like you

So well practised

In your deceit

Behind the high walls of stupidity

Your endless conceit

 

Behind the locked door

The sleeping dog you beat

I hope I see the day

She satisfies her teeth

Give back to the native

Their treaty land

What you preach you preach for others

Why don’t you practise that first hand

 

I just don’t understand

This world of mine

I must be out of touch

Or out of my mind

 

And will the profits of destruction

Forever make your eyes blind

Do you bow to the corporations

Cause they pay their bills on time

 

God bless Elijah

With the feather in his hand

Stop stealing the Indian land

Stop stealing the Indian land

Stop stealing the Indian land

Walking The Walk

Is not the sky a father and the earth a mother, and are not all living things with feet or wings or roots their children? — Black Elk (Medicine man of the Lakota (Sioux)

Give me the strength to walk the soft earth, a relative to all that is! — Black Elk (Medicine man of the Lakota (Sioux)

With the beauty before me, May I walk With beauty behind me, May I walk With beauty above me, May I walk With beauty below me, May I walk With beauty all around me, May I walk Wandering on a trail of beauty, Lively, I walk. — Proverbs, Sayings and Songs, Navajo Indians

You can always tell a white man from an Indian…The Indian walks like a fox, in a straight line, one foot in front of the other; a white man walks with his feet pointing in opposite directions, like he wasn’t sure which way to go…. - from “Of Mice and Men, White Pine, and Mobility”,  in Grey Owl and Me: Stories from the Trail and Beyond by Hap Wilson….as told to Hap by a Native elder.

I have written here about the Nishiyuu walkers….the young Cree from northern Quebec who walked to Ottawa. I have discussed various Water Walks undertaken by Anishinaabe women to honour the lifeblood of Mother Earth. On the CBC’s great documentary series ’8th Fire’, one of the strongest images was that of Dr. Stanley Vollant travelling by snowshoe and sled to many northern Native communities. Yesterday a group of youth from Manitoba completed the Youth for Lakes walk in Ottawa. Other such walks are ongoing and more are planned.

There is an article in the Globe & Mail about these and other such walks: How Natives Find Power In A Long Distance Walk.

To me these various walks are about literally ‘walking the walk not just talking the talk’.

As mentioned in the Globe & Mail article, Leanne Simpson, a scholar and storyteller from the Alderville First Nation comments on the history of such walks….on the connection to traditions and to culture: ….by walking, they could socialize, strengthen family bonds and engage in diplomacy, and “the same things that motivated my ancestors to walk are motivating people now.” Further Ms. Simpson suggests that long marches are “much more than a tactic or a strategy. … Indigenous people have long rallied against erasure – erasure from the land, erasure from Canadian consciousness. Putting our bodies back on the land can be very powerful.”

Peter Kulchyski, a native studies professor at the University of Manitoba, compares these walks to previous non-violent activities such as civil rights marches: “These walks tie into non-violent, passive civil disobedience. They can be traced back to Gandhi.”

These walks can cross cultural borders too….involving all races of man.  Ms. Simpson described such walks as “an opportunity for all Canadians to join in and walk alongside. This type of relationship isn’t mediated by the mainstream press or politics. And that’s one of the ultimate goals: connection.”

If such walks are politically motivated, maybe it is because governments should think about their ‘poor track record’ when it comes to ‘consultation’ of First Nations. Whether Provincial or Federal, governments should learn to listen to First Nations….to actually hear them….we have two ears and one mouth so should listen twice as much as we speak….

But then it was said that when the Europeans first came and ‘discovered’ North America that they had no eyes and no ears, since they didn’t see or hear. Maybe it is time to change that. Open up their eyes….and ears…. Maybe such walks will do so.

Native people sometimes wear what is called a Unity button….a button with the four colours of red, white, black and yellow on it….these colours represent the four sacred colours of the Medicine Wheel….the four races of man….and these colours all meet in the middle….so we need to learn to meet in the middle too….to actually find common ground….equal footing….since we are all on the same walks in reality.

We can all learn from the Nishiyuu walkers….or from other such walks like the recently completed Youth For Lakes….or walks such as Dr. Stanley Vollant has taken on….because more than anything else it is important to ‘walk the walk not just talk the talk’….for all of us.

Chestnut Canoes….Bill Mason And His Chestnuts….Some Of My Favourite Chestnut Canoes Redux

Originally posted in June 2011….

The all-wood canoes had aesthetic appeal, they were light and much more durable than their bark predecessors, and they were used by latter-day explorers such as the Tyrrell brothers, but for use in wilderness locations, for lugging rock samples, hunting equipment or survey instruments, there was a much more practical and durable design – the wooden canoe with a canvas skin. The Peterborough boat builders knew this technology and were using it to some degree, but some would say that, relatively speaking, they were well behind their counterparts in the northeastern United States. Builders at the E.M. White and Old Town canoe companies had been refining canvas-canoe manufacturing techniques since the 1850s, experimenting with canvas sandwiched between wwoden layers in the hulls of canoes, and with painted cotton duck as a skin on the outside of cedar ribs and planking that made the boat waterproof and protected the vulnerable wooden ribs and planking from abrasion and impact damage. – James Raffan, Fire In The Bones

The Canadian connection to these, arguably superior, New England canoes was through the owners of the hardware store in Fredricton, New Brunswick. Stiff tariffs had made it advantgeous for merchants in Canada to buy Canadian, which had protected the Peterborough canoe-building industry and its all-wooden boats, but the Fredricton “Daily Gleaner” reported in 1897 that Mr. W.T. Chestnut had imported a canvas canoe from a “leading and renowned boat building house in the United States, it being especially for use at Pine Bluff Camp.” The article maintained that this fine canoe would be exhibited at R. Chestnut and Sons’ hardware store for a few days. Shortly thereafter, the J.C. Risteen sash and door company in Fredricton (owned by a group including W.T. Chestnut and his brother Harry) started making a canoe identical to the imported American model and, in 1905, the venerable R. Chestnut and Sons canoe company was incorporated.

A curious aspect of this importation of an American canoe was that W.T. Chestnut secured a Canadian patent for the canvas-covered canoe design, despite the fact that the technology had been in use elsewhere in the country in one form or another for decades. Armed with this new patent, Chestnut launched a lawsuit against the Peterborough Canoe Company, alleging violation of its canvas-covered canoe patent. According to canoe historian Roger MacGregor, “Peterborough’s reply….was lengthy, detailed, and devastating. Chestnut did not even file a counter-reply.” And, MacGregor notes, as if to add insult to injury, another company, the Canadian Canoe Company of Peterborough, seeking entry to the canvas canoe market in 1907, simply acquired a Chestnut canoe in Fredricton and copied it exactly as Chestnut had done earlier with the American canoe. – James Raffan, Fire In The Bones

Although in later life Bill vehemently defended the virtues of his beloved Chestnut – his personal fleet included three, a 16′ Pal, a 16′ Prospector and a 17′ Cruiser – he could have been paddling any number of canvas-covered canoes built in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. In fact, there were on the market, for all intents and purposes, dozens of nearly identical models, made by various manufacturers in the United States and Canada, many of which had the model name “Prospector.” But, even as a class or type of canvas-covered canoe, the Prospector that became his favourite was entirely consistent with Bill and his view of the world. It was mostly made of natural materials – steamed white cedar ribs and planking; brass tacks and screws; cotton-canvas skin; and white ash or oak seats, thwarts and gunwales. It was solid; it was durable; it could be repaired in the field; and it moved quietly and responsively in all types of water. – James Raffan, Fire In The Bones

Nothing feels like a cedar-strip canvas canoe – Omer Stringer, a confirmed traditionalist

Beautiful things made by hand carry within them the seeds of their survival. They generate a spark of affection. For some it’s sentimental, for some it’s the art of the craftsmanship, for some the beauty of the finished boat. People love these things and try hard to ensure they endure.

The survival of the wood-canvas canoe (to paraphrase John McPhee) is certainly a matter of the heart; a romantic affair. The economics are unfavorable. In fact, the wood-canvas canoe’s most conspicuous asset and advantage is that it’s a beautiful piece of art. It’s the Shaker rocking chair of outdoor sport – handcrafted, simple, clean, and functional. There’s nothing in it that doesn’t have to be there, but all of the pieces add up to more than the parts. It works well and looks wonderful doing it.- From Honeymoon With A Prospector by Lawrence Meyer

From Dragonfly Canoe: Wooden Canoe Identification – Chestnut Canoe Company:

Capsule History: The Chestnut family started marketing canvas canoes in the late 1890′s in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The early Chestnut canoes were modelled after a canoe built by B.N. Morris, and indeed, the early Chestnuts show the influence the Morris canoes. Chestnut incorporated in 1907 as the Chestnut Canoe Company, Limited. The Chestnut factory burned down in December of 1921, and was quickly rebuilt. Chestnut Canoe Company and Peterborough Canoe Company merged under the holding company Canadian Watercraft Limited. Canadian Canoe Company joined them in 1927. All three companies continued to maintain there own identity. Chestnut shipped its last canoes in early 1979, then closed. Most of the Chestnut molds survive, and are being used in several wooden canoe shops in Canada. For more details about the history of the Chestnut Canoe Company, see Roger MacGregor’s book When the Chestnut was in Flower.

Serial Number Format - Highly variable. Most Chestnut canoes are not marked with serial numbers. Those that are may have five-digit numbers or a number starting with the letter “C”. Without accompanying paperwork that provides information about shipping, it is not possible to date Chestnut canoes using the serial number. Unlike Peterborough Canoe Company and Canadian Canoe Company, Chestnut never marked a model number on their canoes.

Kissing Cousins: Following the mergers in the 1920′s with the Chestnut Canoe Company, Peterborough Canoe Company and Canadian Canoe Company, all three firms marketed nearly identical lines of canvas canoes. It is often said that Chestnut was responsible for the canvas canoe production for all three companies. While canoes built in one factory were often given a decal for one of the others, for the most part, evidence indicates that each company was responsible for the production of most of its own canoes. Models that are otherwise the same in the catalogs show subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) differences in hull shape, rib patterns, sheer lines, tumblehome, and the shaping of trim parts.

Chestnut Canoe Models

A brief description of the more common model classes offered by Chestnut:

• Pleasure Models: These are the general purpose recreational canoes offered by Chestnut. These are excellent paddling canoes, and are the most commonly found models of Chestnut canoes. The 16′ Pal is perhaps the most famous of the lot, but the 15′ Twozer/Gooseberry/Chum is my personal favorite canoe yet.
• Lightweight Pleasure Canoes: Built lighter than standard models. Includes the 11′ Featherweight and 15′ 50-pound Special (popular known as Bobs Special).
• Prospector Models: These are deeper and beamier than pleasure models of equivelant length. Meant to carry lots of gear for extended trips, there is a lot of canoe packed into a Prospector. Bill Mason’s hype about the Prospector aside, it is a fantastic canoe, and is perhaps the model most widely copied by modern day composite canoe builders. Prospector models were available in double-ended or transom-sterned models.
• Trappers Canoes: This is a loose grouping of smaller canoes that changed over the years. This class also includes lower grade pleasure canoes and the Bantam, which is a 2nd grade version of Bobs Special
• Cruisers Canoes: Designed to go fast, these models are narrower, more rounded across the bottom and have finer lines than other models. The Guides Special models are cruisers than have close-ribbing.
• Freight Canoes: If the Propsector can be considered the pick-up truck of the North, the Freighters are the semi-trucks. Bigger abd beamier, they have great carrying capacity. Available in double-ended and transom-sterned configurations.
• Ogilvy Specials: Named after famous guides of New Brunswick, these models are designed for shallow, fast water canoeing, like that found on the famous salmon rivers of New Brunswick.

I love wood canvas canoes….especially those built by the Chestnut Canoe Company….my favourite canoe is based on the 16 ft. Cruiser, the Kruger….other models built my good buddy, Bruce Smith are similar to other Chestnut designs, the Chum and the Prospector. Several builders continue to build canoes either directly from the original Chestnut forms (such as Hugh Stewart of Headwater Canoes) or taken from Chestnut designs.

Of course, there are examples of Chestnut canoes in the Canadian Canoe Museum. One of which is Bill Mason’s favourite red canoe (I’ve written about Bill Mason’s love of Chestnuts here before….Reflections On the Outdoors Naturally: Bill Mason….And Canoes….Especially Chesnut Prospectors).

From the Mason family website, Red Canoes: Red Canoe Donated to the Canadian Canoe Museum :

The Mason family donated Bill Mason’s treasured red Chestnut Prospector to the Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough Ontario, on June 17th, 1999….

Bill Mason loved his old canvas-covered wood canoes and used many of them throughout his career as a filmmaker, author and painter. But he always said his Chestnut Prospector was “the most versatile canoe ever made”, and that if he “could only have one canoe it would be the original Chestnut wood-canvas 16′ Prospector”. He journeyed quietly through the wilderness in this canoe, treating it not just as a vehicle, but also as a subject, a symbol and a friend. Bill’s Prospector has a lifetime of memories in it and if it could talk, all the little tears in the canvas, each broken rib and every cracked plank would have quite a story to tell.

Photo of Becky Mason paddling her father’s favourite red Prospector before it was donated to the Canadian Canoe Museum, taken by Rolf Kraiker from Blazing Paddles: The Last Outing For Bill Mason’s Canoe.

Photo of the Bill Mason Exhibit at the Canadian Canoe Museum, from the Canadian Canoe Museum: 2011 Jack Matthews Fellow & Award-Winning Canadian Author Nicolas Dickner To Speak At CCM Jan 26th.

For more on Bill Mason and his Chestnuts….especially in his films….see Mike Elliott’s articles from his Kettle River Facebook page:

Path of the Paddle (Part 1 of 4): Bill Mason Shows Off His Chestnut Pal

Path of the Paddle (Part 2 of 4): Spotlight on Wood-Canvas Canoes

Path of the Paddle (3 of 4): Whitewater Ballet in a Wood-Canvas Canoe

Path of the Paddle (4 of 4): Defining What It Is To Be Canadian

Song of the Paddle: A Wood-Canvas Canoe Trip on Film

The Rise and Fall of the Great Lakes: A Film Starring a Wood-Canvas Canoe

It is apparent that Bill did call all red canvas canoes in his films “Prospectors” when in fact they were sometimes Pals; in fact in Ken Soloway’s book The Story of the Chestnut Canoe (on pages 159-160 in the chapter on Bill Mason), Ken writes that he visited with Becky Mason at the Mason home on Meech Lake to examine Bill’s Chestnut canoes….even though Bill expounded that the 16 foot Prospector was the “world’s best all-round canoe”, Bill had acknowledged in his final writings that many of the canoe photos used were not of the Prospector, but of the 16 foot Pleasure model (the first “real” canoe he owned)….as Ken further states Mason enthusiasts who want to see for themselves, should examine either the books or the films. The Pal has cane seats and narrow ribs. The Prospector has slat wood seats and wide ribs. Ken continues and says he examined the two red Chestnuts….both showed signs of wear and much use….Soloway then states that the Pleasure model, Bill’s first canoe was officially not a Pal but a Deer because of its narrow, rounded ribs; also the Pleasure model Bill owned was the later widened version from the 1950s (Appropriate since Bill entered in his diary that he had purchased the canoe on April 12, 1958, about the time Chestnut widened the 16 foot Pleasure forms….the other red Chestnut was a Prospector but Ken Soloway found it to be quite used and rather distorted so the measurements he took off it weren’t quite true to those of the original form (which Ken owned) but that was probably from years of use….Bill also owned an 11 foot Chestnut Featherweight….Ken concludes that the Prospector was a very large canoe and would have suited Bill on some of his trips where his canoe was heavily loaded and Ken was personally convinced he (Bill) would have found a narrow Pal more fitting to the esteemed title of “best all-round canoe” if he travelled as light as most trippers do today.

Much has been written about the Chestnut Canoe Company….besides the previous noted articles, Mike Elliott of Kettle River Canoes has written several articles on his blog (Canoeguy’s Blog) pertaining to Chestnut canoes, including the following:

Five Aces: Unbeatable Wood-Canvas Canoes from the Chestnut Canoe Company

My 17’ Chestnut Prospector Wood-Canvas Canoe

Dimensions for a Chestnut Pal Wood-Canvas Canoe

Lawrence Meyer wrote a great article on his Chestnut Prospector, which is on the WCHA forum:

Honeymoon with a Prospector

Two books on the Chestnut canoe have  been written. One is by Kenneth Solway entitled The Story of the Chestnut Canoe (mentioned above), described  on Amazon.ca as:

The Chestnut Canoe Company began in Fredericton, NB in 1897 and its impact was unequaled on the development of recreational canoeing and the canoe itself. Photos and images from the famed catalogues illustrate this intriguing Maritime story.

Photo from Amazon.ca: The Story Of The Chestnut Canoe.

Another book on the Chestnut canoe is When the Chestnut was in Flower by Roger MacGregor. When the Chestnut Was In Flower: Inside the Chestnut Canoe is the definitive history on the Chestnut canoe. On his website, Ivy Lea Shirt Co. Ltd.: When The Chestnut Was In Flower – Inside The Chestnut Canoe, Roger describes his book as:

A canoe fancier’s reminiscent look at the Chestnut Canoe Company, the result of nearly two decades of searching for traces of the canvas canoe from Fredericton, New Brunswick. Tells where the Chestnut came from and where it went. A book about canoes, travel, memories, and canoe-building. Includes professional lines-drawings of favourite Chestnut canoes: Kruger, Chum, Ogilvy, Prospector, Bobs Special. In hard cover, with over 400 pages, nearly 100 photographs and a few surprises. Sure to appeal, whether you know the Chestnut canoe in person or in passing – or would like to. 

Photo from Nautical Mind: When The Chestnut Was In Flower – Inside The Chestnut Canoe.

I love Roger’s book….it is the most complete book on the Chestnut canoe….I love the professional lines-drawings of favourite Chestnut canoes: Kruger, Chum, Ogilvy, Prospector, Bobs Special. I thought I’d include three of my most favourite canoe drawings:

Chestnut Prospector canoe drawing, lines taken off by Roy MacGregor November 1997, drawn by S.F. Manning August 1999.

Chestnut Chum canoe drawing, lines taken off by Roger MacGregor October 1997, drawing by S.F. Manning January 1999.

Chestnut Kruger canoe drawing, lines taken off by Roger MacGregor June 1998, drawn by S.F. Manning May 1999.

Photos from my copy of When The Chestnut Was In Flower, by yours truly.

These three Chestnut canoes typify three major types of models….the Prospector, the Pleasure and the Cruiser (also same as Guides Special except for closer ribbing).

As previously noted above, Dan Miller wrote in Dragonfly Canoe: Wooden Canoe Identification – Chestnut Canoe Company:

Prospector Models: These are deeper and beamier than pleasure models of equivelant length. Meant to carry lots of gear for extended trips, there is a lot of canoe packed into a Prospector. Bill Mason’s hype about the Prospector aside, it is a fantastic canoe, and is perhaps the model most widely copied by modern day composite canoe builders. Prospector models were available in double-ended or transom-sterned models.

Pleasure Models: These are the general purpose recreational canoes offered by Chestnut. These are excellent paddling canoes, and are the most commonly found models of Chestnut canoes. The 16′ Pal is perhaps the most famous of the lot, but the 15′ Twozer/Gooseberry/Chum is my personal favorite canoe yet.

Cruisers Canoes: Designed to go fast, these models are narrower, more rounded across the bottom and have finer lines than other models. The Guides Special models are cruisers than have close-ribbing.

The Prospector of course was made famous by Bill Mason (even though he owned and used a Pal in many of his films. The Chum was Omer Stringer’s favourite canoe (it is said that the one he paddled was especially made for him by Chestnut….that he even went to supervise it’s construction in Fredricton…..not sure if that’s true….but Omer did likely alter his Chum a bit any way….actually technically Omer’s Chum was a Doe since it had narrow ribs)….the Chum is the 15 ft. version of the Pleasure class of Chestnuts (the Pal was the 16 ft. model). The Kruger was a classic design….my beautiful green canoe is based on this model….and it is a dream to paddle….but I’ve written a lot on that subject already LOL LOL.

My beautiful dream, photo by yours truly.

Check out Roger MacGregor’s fine book….there is so much great information….just about ‘everything you ever wanted to know about Chestnut canoes, but were afraid to ask’.

You might want to check out the Chestnut Canoe Company Catalogs from various eras. (NOTE: There are other photos related to Chestnut canoes, as well as other catalogs and photos for canoe companies such as Kennebec and Old Town.)

Paddles up until later then.

Ojibwa War Canoe Model

Gerry Nieland, an 1812 re-enactor,  wrote on Facebook the following:

Odawa Warrior Assiginack distinguished himself on more then one occasion during and after 1812, his model canoe complete with paddlers of which were warriors he knew and fought beside are shown in dress and body decorations etc.. Its a good example of the dress and decoration by and of some of the Odawa 1st Nations Warriors who were actual participants of the war coming from the Michilimackinac/ Manatoulin Island/ North Channel area.

http://www.civilization.ca/cmc/exhibitions/aborig/watercraft/wab06eng.shtml

http://contemporarymakers.blogspot.ca/2012/07/jean-baptiste-assiginack-model-canoe.html

… Al Corbiere of M’Chigeeng has written some good articles on some of the Anishinaabe involved in the war, including articles on those Warriors receiving medals, areas of action, bios, etc.http://www.ojibweculture.ca/site/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=iKpVS7H6fJc%3D&tabid=64&mid=416

From http://www.civilization.ca/cmc/exhibitions/aborig/watercraft/wab06eng.shtml:

War Canoes

 

Model of a decorated bark canoe with carved figures representing a war party from the Upper Great Lakes ca. 1820 CMC III-M-10

Painted war canoes were once a familiar sight on the Great Lakes. This metre-long model was made in about 1820 by Jean-Baptiste Assiginack, a chief of the Ottawa (Odawa) Nation, as a souvenir for Europeans. The six carved and painted wooden figures (originally seven) have distinct facial features and represent real people known to Assiginack, among them a distinguished orator, a chief and a warrior. Assiginack provided the paddlers with leggings, breechcloths, garters, sashes and feather head-dresses: one even has a tiny pair of moccasins. The canoe itself is much older than any of the Museum’s full-sized bark craft. Its painted decorations on both bark cover and wooden framework are of an unusual type that is very rare in ethnographic collections.

Jean-Baptiste Assiginack, who adopted his French forename when he became a Christian, assisted the British cause in the War of 1812 and later acted as interpreter for the British Indian Department at the military outpost on Drummond Island at the northern end of Lake Huron. Born in an Ottawa village in Michigan in 1768, Assiginack died on Manitoulin Island in Georgian Bay in 1866 at the age of ninety-eight.

From http://contemporarymakers.blogspot.ca/2012/07/jean-baptiste-assiginack-model-canoe.html:

Jean-Baptiste Assiginack, Model Canoe, circa 1820

 

Painted war canoes were once a familiar sight on the Great Lakes. This metre-long model was made in about 1820 by Jean-Baptiste Assiginack, a chief of the Ottawa (Odawa) Nation, as a souvenir for Europeans. The six carved and painted wooden figures (originally seven) have distinct facial features and represent real people known to Assiginack, among them a distinguished orator, a chief and a warrior. Assiginack provided the paddlers with leggings, breechcloths, garters, sashes and feather head-dresses; one even has a tiny pair of moccasins. The canoe itself is much older than any of the Museum’s full-sized bark craft. Its painted decorations on both bark cover and wooden framework are of an unusual type that is very rare in ethnographic collections. Jean-Baptiste Assiginack, who adopted his French forename when he became a Christian, assisted the British cause in the War of 1812 and later acted as interpreter for the British Indian Department at Drummond Island in Lake Huron. Born in an Ottawa village in Michigan in 1768, Assiginack died on Manitoulin Island in Georgian Bay in 1866 at the age of ninety-eight.

 

People in the canoe are Mookomaanish (aka Little Knife), Blackbird, Cub-Bear, Bird of Day, Clap of Thunder at Night, Craw-Fish.

 

 

Copy and more image from Canadian Museum of Civilization.

Also see http://www.ojibweculture.ca/site/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=iKpVS7H6fJc%3D&tabid=64&mid=416.

Some Thoughts On Man’s Role In Nature

I thought I would share the following words on man’s role in the natural world….our place in the scheme of things in Mother Nature:

We need wilderness whether or not we ever set foot in it. We need a refuge even though we may never need to go there…. We need the possibility of escape as surely as we need hope. – Edward Abbey

The love of wilderness is more than a hunger for what is always beyond reach; it is also an expression of loyalty to the earth … the only home we shall ever know, the only paradise we ever need — if only we had the eyes to see. — Edward Abbey (controversial American writer and naturalist)

A civilization which destroys what little remains of the wild, the spare, the original, is cutting itself off from its origins and betraying the principle of civilization itself. — Edward Abbey (controversial American writer and naturalist)

The earth, like the sun, like the air, belongs to everyone — and to no one. — Edward Abbey (controversial American writer and naturalist)

A land not mine, still forever memorable, the watchers of its ocean chill and fresh.

Sand on the bottom whiter than chalk, and the air drunk, like wine, late sun lays bare the rosy limbs of the pine trees.

Sunset in the ethereal waves: I cannot tell if the day is ending, or the world, or if the secrets of secrets is inside me again. — Ann Akmatova (Russian poet)

Humanity is cutting down its forests, apparently oblivious to the fact that we may not be able to live without them. — Isaac Asimov (Russian-American science fiction writer, essayist, and biochemist)

Man is not himself only… He is all that he sees; all that flows to him from a thousand sources… He is the land, the lift of its mountain lines, the reach of its valleys. — Mary Austin (Inyo writer)

No beast has ever conquered the earth; and the natural world has never been conquered by muscular force. — Liberty Hyde Baily

No site in the forest is without significance, not a glade, not a thicket that does not provide analogies to the labyrinth of human thoughts. Who among those people with a cultivated spirit, or whose heart has been wounded, can walk in a forest without the forest speaking to him?… If one searched for the causes of that sensation, at once solemn, simple, gentle, mysterious, that seizes one, perhaps it would be found in the sublime and ingenious spectacle of all the creatures obeying their destinies, immutably docile. — Honore de Balzac (French realist writer)

Nature includes all of the universe and man is not only a part of nature, he is in it up to his neck. – N.J. Berrill (science writer)

The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world that it leaves to its children. — Dietrich Bonhoeffer (German theologian)

There are no idealists in the plant world and no compassion. The rose and the morning glory know no mercy. Bindweed, the morning glory, will quickly choke its competitors to death, and the fencerow rose will just as quietly crowd out any other plant that tried to share its roothold. Idealism and mercy are human terms and human concepts. — Hal Borland (American writer)

A root, a stem, a leaf, some means of capturing sunlight and air and making food — in some, a plant. The green substance of the earth, the chlorophyll, is all summed up in the plants. Without them we perish, all of us who are flesh and blood. — Hal Borland (American writer)

If we are to have broad-thinking men and women of high mentality, of good physique and with a true perspective on life, we must allow our populace a communion with nature in areas of more or less wilderness condition. — Arthur Carhart (U.S. Forest Service official and pioneer in wilderness preservation movement)

I held a blue flower in my hand, probably a wild aster, wondering what its name was, and then thought that human names for natural things are superfluous. Nature herself does not name them. The important thing is to know this flower, look at its color until the blends becomes as real as a keynote of music. Look at the exquisite yellow flowerettes at the center, become very small with them. Be the flower, be the trees, the blowing grasses. Fly with the birds, jump with a squirrel! — Sally Carrighar (American nature writer), from Home to the Wilderness

Never a day passes but that I do myself the honor to commune with some of nature’s varied forms. — George Washington Carver (African-American botanist, invented hundreds of uses for the peanut)

The great purpose is to set aside a reasonable part of the vanishing wilderness, to make certain that generations of Americans yet unborn will know what it is to experience life on undeveloped, unoccupied land in the same form and character as the Creator fashioned it… It is a great spiritual experience. I never knew a man who took a bedroll into an Idaho mountainside and slept there under a star-studded summer sky who felt self-important that next morning. Unless we preserve some opportunity for future generations to have the same experience, we shall have dishonored our trust. – Frank Church (Democratic Idaho Senator, 1957-1981))

Believe one who knows; you will find something greater in woods than in books. Trees and stones will teach you that which you can never learn from masters. — St. Bernard de Clairvaux (French abbott and primary builder of the Cistercian monastic order)

And what joy, think ye, did they feel after the exceedingly long and troublous ascent?- after scrambling, pulling, pushing lifting, gasping, looking, hoping, despairing, climbing, holding on, falling off, trying, puffing, loosing, gathering, talking, stepping, grumbling, anathematising, scraping, hacking, bumping, jogging, overturning, hunting, straddling, – for know ye that by these methods alone are the most divine mysteries of the Quest revealed? – Prof. Norman Collie, Scottish Mountaineering Journal, 1894

Men go back to the mountains, as they go back to sailing ships at sea, because in the mountains and on the sea they must face up, as did men of another age, to the challenge of nature. Modern man lives in a highly synthetic kind of existence. He specializes in this and that. Rarely does he test all his powers or find himself whole. But in the hills and on the water the character of a man comes out. — Abram T. Collier

Man is whole when he is in tune with the winds, the stars, and the hills… Being in tune with the universe is the entire secrets. — William O. Douglas (U.S. Supreme Court Justice)

….. to be whole and harmonious, man must also know the music of the beaches and the woods. He must find the thing of which he is only an infinitesimal part and nurture it and love it, if he is to live. — William O. Douglas (U.S. Supreme Court Justice), 1960

Is not the sky a father and the earth a mother, and are not all living things with feet or wings or roots their children? — Black Elk (Medicine man of the Lakota (Sioux)

Give me the strength to walk the soft earth, a relative to all that is! — Black Elk (Medicine man of the Lakota (Sioux)

Then I was standing on the highest mountain of them all, and round about beheath me was the whole hoop of the world. And while I stood there I saw more than I can tell and I understood more than I saw; for I was seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of all things in the spirit, and the shape of all shapes as they must live together like one being. And I saw the sacred hoop of my people was one of the many hoops that made one circle, wide as daylight and as starlight, and in the center grew one mighty flowering tree to shelter all the children of one mother and one father. And I saw that it was holy… — Black Elk (Medicine man of the Lakota (Sioux)

In the woods, too, a man casts off his years, as the snake his slough, and at what period soever of life is always a child. — Ralph Waldo Emerson (American writer and philosopher and co-founder of Transcendental Club)

It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinions; it is easy in solitude to live after your own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude. – Ralph Waldo Emerson (American writer and philosopher and co-founder of Transcendental Club)

To the dull mind nature is leaden. To the illumined mind the whole world burns and sparkles with light. – Ralph Waldo Emerson (American writer and philosopher and co-founder of Transcendental Club)

The greatest wonder is that we can see these trees and not wonder more. — Ralph Waldo Emerson (American writer and philosopher and co-founder of Transcendental Club), from a conversation with John Muir

At the gates of the forest, the surprised man of the world is forced to leave his city estimates of great and small, wise and foolish. The knapsack of custom falls off his back. — Ralph Waldo Emerson (American writer and philosopher and co-founder of Transcendental Club)

No land is bad, but land is worse. If a man owns land, the land owns him. Now let him leave home, if he dare. — Ralph Waldo Emerson (American writer and philosopher and co-founder of Transcendental Club)

Miller owns this field, Locke that, and Manning the woodland beyond. But none of them owns the landscape. There is a property in the horizon which no man has but he whose eye can integrate all the parts, that is, the poet. This is the best part of these men’s farms, yet to this their warranty-deeds have no title. — Ralph Waldo Emerson (American writer and philosopher and co-founder of Transcendental Club)

Plants are the young of the world. Vessels of health and vigor; but they grope ever upward towards consciousness; the trees are imperfect man, and seem to bemoan their imprisonment, rooted in the ground. — Ralph Waldo Emerson (American writer and philosopher and co-founder of Transcendental Club)

The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God…I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles. — Anne Frank (diarist and Holocaust victim)

The survival of the human species is inescapably linked with the survival of all other forms of life. – Michael Frome (American outdoor and environmental writer)

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step and trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a woods, and I – I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. – Robert Frost (American poet), The Road Not Taken

Acceptance is the art of making the obstacle the path. Therefore, embrace the enemy. This is the lesson of the river guide: face the danger, move toward it, that’s where the current is the strongest, and it will carry you around the obstacle. Use it. — China Galland (author of The Bond Between Women and Women in the Wilderness)

And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. — Kahlil Gibran (Lebanese-American artist, poet and writer)

Remember, you belong to Nature, not it to you. – Archibald Belaney, aka Grey Owl

Human beings, as a whole, deny to animals any credit for the power of thought, preferring not to hear about it and ascribing everything they do to instinct. Yet most species of animals can reason, and all men have instinct. Man is the highest of living creatures, but it does not follow a corollary that Nature belongs to him, as he so fondly imagines. He belongs to it. That he should take his share of the gifts she has so bountifully provided for her children, is only right and proper; but he cannot reasonably deny the other creatures a certain portion. They have to live too. – Grey Owl, Tales Of An Empty Cabin, pp. 325-26

There are many who walk through the woods like blind men. – Grey Owl, Tolerance

There is a great deal of talk these days about saving the environment. We must, for the environment sustains our bodies. But as humans we also require support for our spirits, and this is what certain kinds of places provide. The catalyst that converts any physical location — any environment if you will — into a place, is the process of experiencing deeply. A place is the piece of the whole environment that has been claimed by feelings. Viewed simply as a life-support system, the earth is an environment. Viewed as a resource that sustains our humanity, the earth is a collection of places. We never speak, for example, of an environment we have known; it is always places we have known — and recall. We are homesick for places, we are reminded of places, it is the sounds and smells and sights of places which haunt us and against which we often measure our present. — Alan Gussow (American artist, gardener and president of Friends of the Earth Foundation), from A Sense of Place

So rests the sky against the earth. The dark still tarn in the lap of the forest. As a husband embraces his wife’s body in faithful tenderness, so the bare ground and trees are embraced by this still, high, light of the morning.

I feel an ache of longing to share in this embrace, to be united and absorbed. A longing like carnal desire, but directed towards earth, water, sky, and returned by the whispers of the trees, the fragrance of the soil, the caresses of the wind, the embrace of water and light. Content? No, no, no — but refreshed, rested — while waiting. — Dag Hammarskjold (Swedish diplomat and second Secretary-General of the United Nations, winner of the 1961 Nobel Peace Prize)

Clambering up the Cold Mountain path, The Cold Mountain trail goes on and on: The long gorge choked with the scree and boulders, The wide creek, the midst-blurred grass. The moss is slippery, though there’s been no rain The pine sings, but there’s no wind. Who can lead the world’s ties And sit with me among the white clouds? – Han-shan (Mythological figure of 8th or 9th century Chinese Taoist/Zen poetry)

I have come to terms with the future. From this day onward I will walk easy on the earth. Plant trees. Kill no living things. Live in harmony with all creatures. I will restore the earth where I am. Use no more of its resources than I need. And listen, listen to what it is telling me. — M.J. Slim Hooey

We love quiet; we suffer the mouse to play; when the woods are rustled by the wind, we fear not. – Indian Chief, 1796, to the governor of Pennsylvania

In nature there are neither rewards nor punishments – there are consequences. – R. G. Ingersoll

Her mighty lakes, like oceans of liquid silver; her mountains with their right aerial tints; her valleys, teeming with wild fertility; her tremendous cataracts, thundering in their solitudes; her boundless plains, waving with spontaneous verdure; her brought deep rivers, rolling in solemn silence to the ocean; her trackless forests, where vegetation puts forth all its magnificence; her skies, kindling waves in the magic of the summer clouds and glorious sunshine; — no, never need an American look beyond his own country for the sublime and beautiful of natural scenery. – Washington Irving (American author famous for Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow)

We must not only protect the country side and save it from destruction, we must resort what has been destroyed and salvage the beauty and charm of our cities… Once our natural splendor is destroyed, it can never be recaptured. And once man can no longer walk with beauty or wonder at nature, his spirit will wither and his sustenance be wasted. — Lyndon B. Johnson (36th President of the United States)

Never does nature say one thing and wisdom another. – Juvenal, Satires

What a joy it is to feel the soft, springy earth under my feet once more, to follow grassy roads that lead to ferny brooks where I can bathe my fingers in a cataract of rippling notes, or to clamber over a stone wall into green fields that tumble and roll and climb in riotous gladness! — Helen Keller, from The Story of My Life

No man should go through life without once experiencing healthy, even bored solitude in the wilderness, finding himself depending solely on himself and thereby learning his true and hidden strength. - Jack Kerouac

My heart is tuned to the quietness that the stillness of nature inspires. — Hazrat Inayat Khan (Indian Sufi teacher and founder of the Sufi Order in the West, now the Sufi Order International)

The wilderness and the idea of wilderness is one of the permanent homes of the human spirit. – Joseph Wood Krutch (American writer, critic, and naturalist), 1958, from Today and All Its Yesterdays

The trail is the thing, not the end of the trail.  Travel too fast and you miss all you are traveling for. - Louis L’Amour

On a clear winter morning, just as the sun rises high enough for its slanting rays to shine horizontally through the trees, disclosing each branch and needle, backlit and rimmed with fire, each intricate facets of the snow crystals distinct and glittering, each contour and dip of the land plainly outlined by the conforming snow, I lay my track through the snow — a silent listener awaiting Being. And Being responds. I move so silently and swiftly that deer, rabbits, and weasels are surprised and caught him in their inner lives; so swiftly and silently they do not flee but stand out in their beings. Each tree-being, aspen and fir, lit from within, stands out. The shape of the land is shone forth more clearly than in the summer, when its contours are masked and hidden by vegetation. The earth more present, the sky more present, by, the human, more present in total awareness… — Dolores LaChapelle (American mountaineer, skier and leader in the deep ecology movement)

Man always kills the things he loves, and so we the pioneers have killed our wilderness. Some say we had to. Be that as it may, I am glad I shall never be young without wild country to be young in. Of what avail are forty freedoms without a blank spot on the map? — Aldo Leopold (American ecologist, forester, and environmentalist, considered to be father of American wildlife management)

Our ability to perceive quality in nature begins, as in part, with the pretty. It expands through successive stages of the beautiful to values as yet uncaptured by language. The quality of cranes lies, I think, in this higher gamut, as yet beyond the reach of words. — Aldo Leopold (American ecologist, forester, and environmentalist, considered to be father of American wildlife management)

The land, the earth God gave to man for his home…should never be the possession of any man, corporation, (or) society…any more than the air or water. — Abraham Lincoln (16th President of the United States)

In wilderness I sense the miracle of life, and behind it our scientific accomplishments fade to trivia. — Charles A. Lindbergh (American aviator, flew first solo non-stop flight across the Atlantic in 1927), December 22, 1967, from Life

Our ideals, laws and customs should be based on the proposition that each generation, in turn, becomes the custodian rather than the absolute owner of our resources and each generation has the obligation to pass this inheritance on to the future. — Charles A. Lindbergh (American aviator, flew first solo non-stop flight across the Atlantic in 1927), May 23, 1971, from New York Times Magazine

Park and open-space efforts can be described as an institutional reflection of the principal means by which urban man has historically engaged in the Edenic search. He has, since the beginnings of civilization, sought gardeners in his cities, a pastoral landscape outside of his cities, and wilderness for retreat away from his cities. Baghdad boasts a thousand gardens; Alexander set aside one quarter of his North African city as a park;…wilderness served as retreat for Jesus of Nazareth, as it did later for the Waldenisians and the Franciscans; and mediation in the wilderness is a common theme in Far Eastern cultures. Thus, there is good evidence that a prosperity for greenery as a substitute Eden in urban civilizations is not a particularity of any single race, religion, or national culture. — Charles E. Little (American author of The Dying of the Trees)

I have learned a lot from trees; Sometimes about the weather, Sometimes about animals, Sometimes about the Great Spirits. — Tatanga Mani “Walking Buffalo” (Chief of the Nakoda, medicine man, naturalist, and peace advocate)

For me and for thousands with similar inclinations, the most important passion of life is the overpowering desire to escape periodically from the clutches of a mechanistic civilization. To us the enjoyment of solitude, complete independence, and the beauty of undefiled panoramas is absolutely essential to happiness. — Bob Marshall (co-founder of the Wilderness Society)

The machine called Nature into an art form. For the first time at men began to regard Nature as a source of aesthetic and spiritual values. — Marshal McLuhan (Canadian philosopher and intellectual known for coining the phrases “the medium is the message” and “global village”)

I’d rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth. — Steve McQueen (movie actor)

The universe has been quite literally writing upon humans for many thousands of years, and our alphabets are among the traits that nature has carved in order to cross our minds. Wild lands have caught deeper trails in my life than I will ever be able to make in the forest. — Joe Meeker (American human ecolgist, host of the 1980′s NPR show Minding the Earth)

What a thing it is to sit absolutely alone, in the forests, at night, cherished by this wonderful, unintelligible, perfectly innocent speech, the most comforting speech in the world, the talk that rain makes by itself all over the bridges, and the talk of the water courses everywhere in the hollows!

Nobody started it, nobody is going to stop it. It will talk as long as it wants, this rain. As long as it talks I am going to listen. — Thomas Merton (Trappist monk and Catholic theologian), from Rain and the Rhinoceros

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul. – John Muir

In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks. – John Muir

Keep close to Nature’s heart… and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean. – John Muir

One may as well dam for water tanks the people’s cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been consecrated by the heart of man. – John Muir

Take a course in good water and air; and in the eternal youth of Nature you may renew your own. Go quietly, alone; no harm will befall you. – John Muir

The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness. – John Muir

The forests of America, however slighted by man, must have been a great delight to God; for they were the best He ever planted. — John Muir (American naturalist and co-founder of the Sierra Club)

Like most other things not apparently useful to man, it has few friends, and the blind question “Why was it made?’ goes on and on, with never a guess that first of all it might have been made for itself. — John Muir (American naturalist and co-founder of the Sierra Club)

Society speaks and all men listen, mountains speak and wise men listen. — John Muir (American naturalist and co-founder of the Sierra Club)

I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown; for going out, I found, was really going in. — John Muir (American naturalist and co-founder of the Sierra Club)

I . . . am always glad to touch the living rock again and dip my hand in the high mountain air. – John Muir (American naturalist and co-founder of the Sierra Club)

Walk away quietly in any direction and taste the freedom on the mountaineer…

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The wind will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. — John Muir (American naturalist and co-founder of the Sierra Club)

Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity; that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life. — John Muir (American naturalist and co-founder of the Sierra Club)

Here is calm so deep, grasses cease waiting… wonderful how completely everything in wild nature fits into us, as if truly part and parent of us. The sun shines not on us, but in us. The rivers flow not passed, but through us, thrilling, tingling, vibrating every fiber and cell of the substance of our bodies, making them glide and sing. — John Muir (American naturalist and co-founder of the Sierra Club)

How deep our sleep last night in the mountains here, beneath the trees and stars, hushed by solemn-sounding waterfalls and many small soothing voices in sweet accord whispering peace!

And our first pure mountain day, warm, calm, cloudless, — how immeasurable it seems, how serenely wild! I can scarcely remember its beginning. Along the river, over the hills, in the ground, in the sky, spring work is going on with joyful enthusiasm, new life, new beauty, unfolding, unrolling in glorious exuberant extravagance, — new birds in their nests, new winged creatures in the air, and new leaves, new flowers, spreading, shining, rejoicing everywhere. — John Muir (American naturalist and co-founder of the Sierra Club)

How hard to realize that every camp of men or beast has its glorious starry firmament for a roof. In such places, standing alone on the mountaintop, it is easy to realize that whatever special nests we make — leaves and moss like the marmots and the birds, or tents or piled stone — we all dwell in a house of one room — the world with the firmament for its roof — are all sailing the celestial spaces without leaving any track. — John Muir (American naturalist and co-founder of the Sierra Club)

When I discovered a new plant, I sat down beside it for a minute or a day, to make its acquaintance and hear what it had to tell… I asked the boulders I met, whence they came and whither they were going. — John Muir (American naturalist and co-founder of the Sierra Club)

The mountains are fountains of men as well as of rivers, of glaciers, of fertile soil. The great poets, philosophers, profits, able men whose thoughts and deeds have moved the world, have come down from the mountains — mountain-dwellers who have grown strong they are with the forest trees in Natures work-shops. — John Muir (American naturalist and co-founder of the Sierra Club)

If my soul could get away from this so-called prison, be granted all the list of attributes generally bestowed on spirits, my first ramble on spirit-wings would not be among the volcanoes of the moon. Nor should I follow the sunbeams to their sources in the sun. I should hover about the beauty of our own good star. I should not go moping around the tombs, nor around the artificial desolation of men. I should study Nature’s laws in all their crossings and unions: I should follow magnetic streams to their source and follow the shores of our magnetic oceans. I should go among the rays of the aurora, and follow them to their beginnings, and study their dealings and communions with other powers and expressions of matter. And I should go to the very center of our globe and read the whole splendid page from the beginning. – John Muir (American naturalist and co-founder of the Sierra Club)

I have a low opinion of books; they are but piles of stones set up to show travelers where other minds have been, or at best smoke signals to call attention… One day’s exposure to mountains is better than a cart load of books. — John Muir (American naturalist and co-founder of the Sierra Club)

There is growing awareness of the beauty of country … a sincere desire to keep some of it for all time. People are beginning to value highly the fact that a river runs unimpeded for a distance… They are beginning to obtain deep satisfaction from the fact that a herd of elk may be observed in back country, on ancestral ranges, where the Indians once hunted them. They are beginning to seek the healing relaxation that is possible in wild country. In short, they want it. — Olaus J. Murie (naturalist and co-founder of The Wilderness Society)

Wilderness itself is the basis of all our civilization. I wonder if we have enough reverence for life to concede to wilderness the right to live on? — Margaret (Mardy) Murie (Known as “Grandmother of the Conservation Movement,” wife of Olaus Murie)

Without knowing it, we utilize hundreds of products each day that owe their origin to wild animals and plants. Indeed our welfare is intimately tied up with the welfare of wildlife. Well may conservationists proclaim that by saving the lives of wild species, we may be saving our own. – Norman Myers (author of The Sinking Ark), 1983, from A Wealth of Wild Species

Returned me, oh sun, to my wild destiny, rain of the ancient wood, bringing me back to the aroma of swords that fall from the sky, the solitary peace of pasture and rock, the damp at the river-margins, the smell of the larch tree, the wind alive like a heart beating in the crowded restlessness of the towering araucaria.

Earth, give me back your pure gifts, the towers of silence which rose from the solemnity of their roots. I want to go back to being what I have not been, and learn to go back from such deeps that amongst all natural things I could live or not live; it does not matter to be one stone more, the dark stone, the pure stone which the river bears away. — Pablo Neruda (Chilean writer and communist politician)

The Wilderness holds answers to questions man has not yet learned how to ask. — Nancy Newhall (conservationist writer and photography critic)

All living creatures and all plants are a benefits to something. — Okute (Sioux Indian)

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting– over and over announcing your place in the family of things. – Mary Oliver (American poet), from poem Wild Geese

Appreciate it. Care for it. Never take it for granted. Allow yourself to hear the music, to feel the ancient rhythms.-  Sigurd Olson

Respect the land. It has intrinsic value that our spirits need. Don’t be afraid to fight for it. It’s worth the struggle. - Sigurd Olson

There is something to being on your own, whether in a blind, trout fishing or canoeing. Alone you get close to nature, you can listen, think, feel yourself a part of the water, at one with the trees and grasses, a part of the whole eternal picture. I think this is what many men seek but never find, the sense of being an intimate part of anything they do. So much of a man’s time is spent being a good fellow, trying to be sociable, competing with others, that he does not find the real answer. - Sigurd Olson

I think that here is so much of what a man seeks, here so much the answer of what he needs to give himself contentment that he should try and find more frequently ways of satisfying his need. Once he senses that feeling of utter familiarity, of complete attunement, then he has gone a long way toward counteracting the bleakness of civilized living. We are not so far removed as yet, but what we must satisfy often the urge to be alone, to be a part of our surroundings, of being at one with the earth and sky and water. Here is real satisfaction, here fulfillment of the constant hunger of men for the past and primitive. - Sigurd Olson

The struggle for spirit has replaced the physical, and in his evolution psychologically man’s greatest minds have become aware of the emptiness of material striving. The struggle has become a positive drive toward perfection, all in keeping with his final hope: realization of the kingdom of God within him. – Sigurd Olsen

Urban man has thrown plans to the winds and is living a catch as catch can existence dominated by impermanence, speed, and fluidity of movement. He is divorcing himself from the earth, and in this divorcement he is losing contact with elemental and spiritual things, his sense of oneness with his environment, psychological and physiological needs for which he has been conditioned for a million years by an entirely different existence. - Sigurd Olson, “Our Need of Breathing Space,” at a Resources for the Future, Inc., forum, Washington, D.C., early 1958.

Important though such experience may be to physical welfare, its most valuable asset is without question in the realm of the spiritual….To countless thousands, wilderness has become a spiritual necessity. – Sigurd Olson, The Preservation of Wilderness, Living Wilderness, Autumn 1948

There have been countless campfires, each one different, but some so blended into their backgrounds that it is hard for them to emerge. But I have found that when I catch even a glimmer of their almost forgotten light in the eyes of some friend who has shared them with me, they begin to flame once more. Those old fires have strange and wonderful powers. Even their memories make life the adventure it was meant to be. – Sigurd Olson

Simplicity in all things is the secret of the wilderness and one of its most valuable lessons. It is what we leave behind that is important. I think the matter of simplicity goes further than just food, equipment, and unnecessary gadgets; it goes into the matter of thoughts and objectives as well. When in the wilds, we must not carry our problems with us or the joy is lost. — Sigurd F. Olson (naturalist author of The Singing Wilderness)

I am trying to save the knowledge that the forests and this planet are alive, to give it back to you who have lost the understanding. — Paulinho Paiakan (Kayapo Indian chief)

Must we always teach our children with books? Let them look at the mountains and the stars up above. Let them look at the beauty of the waters and the trees and flowers on earth. They will then begin to think, and to think is the beginning of a real education. – David Polis

The thoughts of the earth are my thoughts. The voice of the earth is my voice. All that belongs to the earth belongs to me. All that surrounds the earth surrounds me. It is lovely indeed, it is lovely indeed. — Proverbs, Sayings and Songs, Navajo Song

With the beauty before me,

May I walk With beauty behind me, May I walk With beauty above me, May I walk With beauty below me, May I walk With beauty all around me, May I walk Wandering on a trail of beauty, Lively, I walk. — Proverbs, Sayings and Songs, Navajo Indians

For there are some people who can live without wild things about them and the earth beneath their feet, and some who cannot. To those of us who, in a city, are always aware of the abused and abased earth below the pavement, walking on the grass, watching the flight of birds, or finding the first spring dandelion are the rights as old and unalienable as the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We belong to no cult. We are not Nature Lovers. We don’t love nature any more than we love breathing. Nature is simply something indispensable, like air and light and water, that we accept as necessary to living, and the nearer we can get to it the happier we are. — Louise Dickinson Rich (author of We Took to the Woods)

On the path that leads to Nowhere I have sometimes found my Soul. — Corinne Roosevelt Robinson (younger sister of President Theodore Roosevelt)

At first, the people talking about ecology were only defending the fishes, the animals, the forest, and the river. They didn’t realize that human beings were in the forest — and that these human beings were the real ecologist, because they couldn’t live without the forest and the forest couldn’t be saved without them. — Osmarino Amancio Rodrigues (Amazonian rubber tapper)

When late in life, one sits under a tree and contemplates the glory of a natural scene, there are fewer besetting apprehensions that one is wasting time; lack of time, then is grimly recognized as the greatest poverty; every moment gleaned for leisure is realized as a splendid, priceless investment. If only this could be perceived earlier, how much greater would be the value of life’s time. - Calvin Rutstrum,  The Wilderness Life

The whole secret of the study of nature lies in learning how to use one’s eyes. – George Sand

To us the ashes of our ancestors are sacred and their resting place is hallowed ground. — Chief Seattle, 1855, upon surrendering his land to Governor Isaac Stevens

There is no quiet place in white man’s cities. No place to hear the unfurling of leaves in the Spring or the rustle of an insect’s wings. — Chief Seattle

You must teach your children that the ground beneath their feet is the ashes of our grandfathers. So that they will respect the land, tell your children that the earth is rich with the lives of our kin. Teach your children what we have taught our childresn–that the earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the earth, befalls the sons of the earth. If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves.

This we know. The earth does not belong to man; man belongs to earth. This we know. All things are connected like the blood which unites one family. All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself… — Chief Seattle

The more civilized man becomes, the more he needs and craves a great background of forest wildness, to which he may return like a contrite prodigal from the husks of an artificial life. — Ellen Burns Sherman

The care of rivers is not a question of rivers, but of the human heart. — Tanaka Shozo (Japanese environmental activist)

Beauty created by Nature is equal in value to, and to be accorded reverence equal to that of the beauty of music, art or poetry of man, and experts are available to testify as to degrees of natural beauty just as they are able to testify to the quality of mortals’ art. – David Sive

Nature is not a place to visit, it is home. — Gary Snyder (American poet and essayist), from Practice of the Wild

In the blue night frost haze, the sky glows with the moon pine tree tops bend snow-blue, fade into sky, frost, starlight, the creak of boots, rabbit tracks, deer tracks, what do we know. — Gary Snyder (American poet and essayist), from Pine Tree Tops

The old Lakota was wise, He knew that man’s heart, away from nature, becomes hard; he knew that lack of respect for growing, living things soon led to lack of respect for humans too. — Luther Standing Bear (Native American author)

The old people came literally to love the soil and they sat or reclined on the ground with a feeling of being close to a mothering power. It was good for the skin to touch the earth and the old people liked to remove their moccasins and walk with bare feet on the sacred Earth. Their tipis were built upon the earth and their altars were made of earth. The birds that flew into the air came to rest upon the earth and it was the final abiding place of all things that lived and grew. The soil was soothing, strengthening, cleansing and healing. – Luther Standing Bear (Native American author), from Land of the Spotted Eagle

We did not think of the great open plains, the beautiful rolling hills, and winding streams with tangled growth, as “wild.” Only to the white man was nature a “wilderness” and only to him was the land “infested” with “wild” animals and “savage” people. To us it was tame. Earth was bountiful and we were surrounded with the blessings of the Great Mystery. Not until the hairy man from the east came and with brutal frenzy heaped injustices upon us and the families we loved was it “wild” for us. When the very animals of the forest began fleeing from his approach, then it was that for us the “Wild West” began. — Luther Standing Bear (Native American author)

We simply need that wild country available to us, even if we never do more than drive to its edge and look in. For it can be a means of reassuring ourselves of our sanity as creatures, a part of the geography of hope. — Wallace Stegner (American writer, historian, and environmentalist), 1960, from a letter written to the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission

We are the most dangerous species of life on the planet, and every other species, even the earth itself, has cause to fear our power to exterminate. But we are also the only species which, when it chooses to do so, we’ll go to great effort to save what it might destroy. — Wallace Stegner (American writer, historian, and environmentalist)

I gave my heart to the mountains the minute I stood beside this river with its spray in my face and watched it thunder into foam, smooth to green glass over sunken rocks, shattering to foam again…

It was a prayer and comforting to wake in late and hear the undiminished shouting of the water in the night. And at sunup it was still there, powerful and incessant, with the slant sun tangled in its rainbow spray, the grass blue with the wetness, and the air heady as ether and scented with campfire smolder.

By such a river it is impossible to believe that one will ever be tired or old. Every sense applauds it. Taste it, feel its chill on the teeth: it is purity absolute. Watch its racing current, its steady renewal of force: it is transient and eternal. And listen again to its sounds: get far enough away so that the noise of falling tons of water does not stun the ears, and hear how much is going on underneath — a whole symphony of smaller sounds, hiss and splash and gurgle, the small talk of side channels, the whisper of blown and scattered spray gathering itself and beginning to flow again, secret and irresistible, among the wet rocks. – Wallace Stegner (American writer, historian, and environmentalist)

There’s no music like a little river’s … It takes the mind out of doors … and… sir, it quiets a man down like saying his prayers. – Robert Louis Stevenson (Scottish novelist, poet, and travel writer), from Prince Otto

Once in a while you find a place on earth that becomes your very own. A place undefined. Waiting for you to bring your color, your self. A place untouched, unspoiled, undeveloped. Raw, honest, and haunting. No one, nothing is telling you how to feel or who to be. Let the mountains have you for a day… — Sundance

We no longer see the world as a single entity. We’ve moved to cities and we think the economy is what gives us our life, that if the economy is strong we can afford garbage collection and sewage disposal and fresh food and water and electricity. We go through life thinking that money is the key to having whatever we want, without regard to what it does to the rest of the world. – David Suzuki

We are upsetting the atmosphere upon which all life depends. In the late 80s when I began to take climate change seriously, we referred to global warming as a “slowmotion catastrophe” one we expected to kick in perhaps generations later. Instead, the signs of change have accelerated alarmingly. – David Suzuki

As we watch the sun go down, evening after evening, through the smog across the poisoned watchers of our native earth, we must ask ourselves seriously whether we really wish some future universal historian on another planet to say about us: “With all their genius and with all their skill, they ran out of foresight and air and food and water and ideas,” or, “They went on playing politics until their world collapsed around them.” — U Thant (Burmese diplomat and the 3rd Secretary-General of the United Nations)

All good things are wild, and free - Henry David Thoreau

However mean your life is, meet it and live it: do not shun it and call it hard names. Cultivate poverty like a garden herb, like sage. Do not trouble yourself much to get new things, whether clothes or friends. Things do not change, we change. Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts. God will see that you do want society. - Henry David Thoreau

I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life; living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartanlike as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and, if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness out of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience. – Henry David Thoreau

Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves – Henry David Thoreau

If a man walks in the woods for love of them half of each day, he is in danger of being regarded as a loafer; but if he spends his whole day as a speculator, shearing off those woods and making earth bald before her time, he is esteemed an industrious and enterprising citizen. — Henry David Thoreau

We need the tonic of wildness, to wade sometimes in marshes where the bittern and the meadow-hen lurk, and hear the booming of the snipe; to smell the whispering sedge where only some wilder and more solitary fowl builds her nest, and the mink crawls with its belly close to the ground. – Henry David Thoreau

When I would recreate myself, I seek the darkest wood, the thickest and the most interminable, and to the citizen, most dismal swamp. I enter the swamp as a sacred place–a sanctum sanctorum.there is the strength, the marrow of Nature.— Henry David Thoreau (American writer and naturalist)

And this, our life exempt from public haunts, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything. — J.R.R. Tolkien (English writer)

One touch of nature makes the whole world kin. — J.R.R. Tolkien (English writer)

We are literally children of the earth, and removed from her our spirits wither or run to various forms of insanity. Unless we can refresh ourselves at least by intermittent contact with nature, we grow awry. – G. M. Trevelyan

It was kind of solemn, drifting down the big, still river, laying on our backs, looking up at stars, and we didn’t even feel like talking aloud. — Mark Twain (American writer), 1884, from Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Plans to protect air and water, wilderness and wildlife are in fact plans to protect man. — Stuart Udall (Arizona cabinet member)

Those who wander may not be lost. - Unknown

We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. — Unknown, Haida Indian Saying

Trees give peace to the souls of men. — Nora Waln (American writer)

After you have exhausted what there is in business, politics, conviviality, and so on — have found that none of these satisfy, or permanently wear — what remains? Nature remains. — Walt Whitman (American poet and essayist), 1892, From Specimen Days

Now I see the secret of making the best persons. It is to grow in the open air, and to eat and sleep with the earth. — Walt Whitman (American poet and essayist), from Leaves of Grass

A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain. — Wilderness Act of 1964

If you know wilderness in the way that you know love, you would be unwilling to let it go. We are talking about the body of the beloved, not real estate. — Terry Tempest Williams (American nature writer)

Come forth into the light of things. Let Nature be your teacher. — William Wordsworth (English romantic poet)

For I have learned To look on the nature, not as in the hour Of thoughtless youth; but hearing oftentimes The still, sad music of humanity, Nor harsh nor grating, though of ample power To chasten and subdue. And I have felt A presence that disturbs me with the joy Of elevated thoughts; a sense of sublime Of something far more deeply infused, Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns, And the round ocean and the living air, And the blue sky, and in the minds of man: A motion and a spirit, that impels All living things, all objects of all thought, And rolls through all things. Therefore am I still A lover of the meadows and the woods And mountains, and of all that we behold From this green earth, of all the mighty world Of eye, and ear — both what they half create, And what they perceive, will be pleased to recognize In nature and the Language of the sense The anchor of my purest thoughts, the nurse, The guide, the guardian of my heart and soul Of all my moral being. — William Wordsworth (English romantic poet)

I believe that at least in the present phase of our civilization we have a profound, a fundamental need for areas of wilderness – a need that is not only recreational and spiritual but also educational and scientific, and withal essential to a true understanding of ourselves, our culture, own own natures, and our place in all nature.

This need is for areas of the earth within which we stand without our mechanisms that make us immediate masters over our environment – areas of wild nature in which we sense ourselves to be, what in fact I believe we are, dependent members of an interdependent community of living creatures that together derive their existence from the Sun.

By very definition this wilderness is a need. The idea of wilderness as an area without man’s influence is man’s own concept. Its values are human values. Its preservation is a purpose that arises out of man’s own sense of his fundamental needs. – Howard Zahniser (author of the Wilderness Act), from The Need for Wilderness Areas

It is not long since man thought of himself as the center of the universe, thought even of the Sun – the very source of all our life – as a light by day revolving about the Earth. As our new understanding has come – through science – science also has brought us many other new and wonderful discoveries, and the new knowledge of what we are has been overlooked by many of us in our eagerness for the new knowledge of what we can do. We have become as proud over what we can do as ever our ancestors could have been over themselves as the center of the universe.

We deeply need the humility to know ourselves as the dependent members of a great community of life, and this can indeed be one of the spiritual benefits of a wilderness experience. Without the gagets, the inventions, the contrivances whereby men have seemed to establish among themselves an independence of nature, without these distractions, to know the wilderness is to know a profound humility, to recognize one’s littleness, to sense dependence and interdependence, indebtedness, and responsibility.

Perhaps, indeed, this is the distinctive ministration of wilderness to modern man, the characteristic effect of an area which we most deeply need to provide for in our preservation programs. — Howard Zahniser (author of the Wilderness Act), from The Need for Wilderness Areas

We are part of the wilderness of the universe. Some of us think we see this so clearly that for ourselves, for our childres, our continuing posterity, and our fellow men we covet with a consuming intensity the fullness of human development that keeps its contact with wildness. – Howard Zahniser (author of the Wilderness Act), from How Much Can We Afford to Lose?, in Wildlands in Our Civilization (San Francisco: Sierra Club, 1964): 51. This address was also printed in the Sierra Club Bulletin (April 1951)

I believe we have a profound fundamental need for areas of the earth where we stand without our mechanisms that make us immediate masters over our environment. — Howard Zahniser (author of the Wilderness Act)

He who has known how to love the land has loved eternity. — Stefan Zeromski (Polish novelist)

Of course this is but a sampling of what has been written on man’s role in nature….but among the ones I find most thought provoking from this list are the following:

Nature includes all of the universe and man is not only a part of nature, he is in it up to his neck. – N.J. Berrill (science writer)

Remember, you belong to Nature, not it to you. – Archibald Belaney, aka Grey Owl

You must teach your children that the ground beneath their feet is the ashes of our grandfathers. So that they will respect the land, tell your children that the earth is rich with the lives of our kin. Teach your children what we have taught our childresn–that the earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the earth, befalls the sons of the earth. If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves.

This we know. The earth does not belong to man; man belongs to earth. This we know. All things are connected like the blood which unites one family. All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself… — Chief Seattle

And some not mentioned in the above list, from more of a paddling perspective….but just as important to ponder on:

You have to do what you can, do your best with what you are. And you have to believe in wilderness. If you do that you can’t go wrong. –  Kirk Albert Walter Wipper b Grahamdale, Manitoba, December 6th, 1923 d Peterborough, Ontario, March 18, 2011

Wilderness: a beautiful word to describe a beautiful land. Wilderness though is a white man’s concept. To the Native people, the land was not wild. It was home. It provided shelter, clothed and fed them. And echoing through their souls was a song of the land. The singing isn’t as loud as it used to be. But you can still hear it in the wind….in the silence of the misty morning….in the drip of the water from the tip of a paddle. The song is still here if you know how to listen. – Bill Mason, Song Of the Paddle

On wilderness: I like being out here. I like looking around. Listening. Seeing how the wilderness fits together. It’s like a puzzle. When we go in and change things, it upsets the balance. And what a great puzzle our world is. It’s beautiful, powerful, and mysterious. – Becky Mason

If it is calm, the canoes drifting through reflections with nothing to break the vast silence but the hypnotic swish of paddles, there are moments when one seems suspended between heaven and earth. If it is stormy and the lakes alive, with whitecaps and blowing spume, each instant is full of battle and excitement. When, after hours and sometimes days, the misty outlines of the lake take form again, islands slowly emerge and float upon the surface, headlands become real, one passes through a door into the beyond itself and the mystery is no more.

Life is a series of open horizons, with one no sooner completed than another looms ahead. Some are traversed swiftly, while others extend so far into the future one cannot predict their end. Penetrations into the unknown, all give meaning to what has gone before, and courage for what is to come. More than physical features, they are horizons of mind and spirit, and when one looks backward, we find they have blended into the whole panorama of our lives. - Sigurd Olson, from Open Horizons, 1969.

The sun was trembling now on the edge of the ridge. It was alive, almost fluid and pulsating, and as I watched it sink I thought that I could feel the earth turning from it, actually feel its rotation. Over all was the silence of the wilderness, that sense of oneness which comes only when there are no distracting sights or sounds, when we listen with inward ears and see with inward eyes, when we feel and are aware with our entire beings rather than our senses. I thought as I sat there of the ancient admonition “Be still and know that I am God,” and knew that without stillness there can be no knowing, without divorcement from outside influences man cannot know what spirit means. - Sigurd Olson, The Singing Wilderness

As a society and a individual you become very stale. No challenge. Out here, I know exactly what I’m about. You can’t fake your character out here. Wilderness actually will bite you back. You are who you are. It’s good for the body and good for the soul. I want to be that 80-year old guy sitting on the porch and saying “I remember when…” as opposed to saying “I wish I did…” – Kevin Callan from “This Is Canoeing” video.

Just some thoughts for a Wednesday….about our place in the bigger scheme of things….as part of Mother Earth….and all of her wonderful natural world….

Paddles up until later then…..

Songs Of The Voyageurs

For 24 years I was a light canoeman. I required but little sleep, but sometimes got less than I required. No portage was too long for me; all portages were alike. My end of the canoe never touched the ground ’til I saw the end of it. Fifty songs a day were nothing to me. I could carry, paddle, walk and sing with any man I ever saw… I pushed on – over rapids, over cascades, over chutes; all were the same to me. No water, no weather ever stopped the paddle or the song… There is no life so happy as a voyageur’s life; none so independent; no place where a man enjoys so much variety and freedom as in the Indian country. Huzza, huzza pour le pays sauvage! — anonymous coureur-de-bois quoted by a Hudson’s Bay Co. historian

The canoes rode well, not too high in the bows, but just enough. Peterborough Prospectors were made for the bush and for roaring rapids and waves. They embodies the best features of all canoes in the north. They were wide of beam with sufficient depth to take rough water, and their lines gave them maneuverability and grace. In them was the lore of centuries, of Indian craftsman who had dreamed and perfected the beauty of the birchbark, and of French voyageurs who also loved the feel of the paddle and the smooth glide of the canoe through the water. All this was taken by modern craftsman who – with glues , waterproof fillers and canvas, together with the accuracy of machine tooled ribs and thwarts , planking and gunwales – made a canoe of which Northmen might be well proud. – Sigurd Olson

Such vivid awareness is swiftly lost today, but if it can be held into adulthood it enriches and colors all we do. How often in the wild country of the north I have been aware of the spirits of the voyageurs, the shadowy forms that once roamed the rivers and lakes. Often at night it seemed I could hear ghostly songs coming across the water, the rhythmic dip of paddles and the swish of great canoes as they went by. - Sigurd Olson

Tu es mon compagnon de voyage! Je veux mourir dans mon canot Sur le tombeau, près du rivage, Vous renverserez mon canot

When I must leave the great river O bury me close to its wave And let my canoe and my paddle Be the only mark over my grave – from ‘Mon Canoe d’écorce’ (‘My Bark Canoe’) translated by Frank Oliver Call

From The Canadian Encyclopedia, http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0008396, comes the following definition of the voyageur:

A voyageur was an adventurer who journeyed by canoe from Montréal to the interior to trade with Indians for furs. At the close of the 17th century, the term was applied to selected coureurs de bois, hired by Montréal merchants to arrange and sustain trading alliances with Indian bands. The term later included all fur trade participants: the merchant (bourgeois), his clerk (commis) and contracted servants (engagés). Today, the term “voyageur” suggests the romantic image of men paddling the canoes in the fur brigades which traversed much of the continent, living lives full of perilous adventure, gruelling labour and boisterous cameraderie.

Shooting the Rapids

Shooting the rapids, in a master canoe. Painting by Francis Ann Hopkins (courtesy Library and Archives Canada/C2774f).

Voyageurs at Dawn

Painting by Frances Ann Hopkins. The overturned canoes make temporary shelters for the men (courtesy Library and Archives Canada/C-2773).

Canoe Manned by Voyageurs Passing a Waterfall

Oil on canvas by Frances Anne Hopkins, 1869 (courtesy Library and Archives Canada 1989-401-1X; C-2771).

From the website Festival du Voyageur,  http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/francais/frcore/elem/progetud/PKK1-3.html:

THE VOYAGEUR

The term Voyageur, a French word meaning “traveler”, was applied originally in Canadian history to all explorers and fur-traders. It came in time to be restricted to the men who operated the canoes and bateaux or fur-traders.

The French régime was responsible for the rise of this unique group of men. From the days of earliest exploration until 1763, a large part of what is now Canada and much of the rest of the continent west of the Appalachian  Mountains was French Territory. In this vast region lived the several tribes of Indians with whom the French settlers around Québec and Montréal were not slow to barter furs. Castor (beaver), marten, renard (fox), lynx, ours (bear), loutre (otter),loup (wolf), muskrat, and many other furs were in great demand in Europe and Asia.

At first the Indians took their skins and furs down the St. Lawrence River to Québec and Montréal, whither annual fairs attracted them; but in time ambitious traders intercepted the natives and purchased their furs in the interior. TheVoyageurs may said to have been born. Farther and farther up the St. Lawrence, into Lakes Huron and Michigan they ventured. Erie and Ontario were explored, and finally Lake Superior. Trading posts were sprinkled from Montréal to the Rocky Mountains, from Hudson Bay to the Gulf of Mexico, leaving behind them place names such as Detroit, Traverse City, Eau Claire, Duluth, St. Louis, Grand Portage, Presque Isle, Fort Macleod, Fort Kamloops, and Fort Quesnel.

As time went on, the French government found it necessary to establish rules and regulations for this lucrative business. Congres(licenses) to enter the Indian country were required; certain articles were prohibited in the trade, and only a specified number of traders would be licensed in one year.

Voyageurs formed a class as distinct in dress, customs, and traditions as sailors or lumberjacks. Short chemise (shirt), a red woolen tuque, a pair of deerskin moccasins, and jambières (leggings), held up by a ceinture fléchée (sash), and the azion (breech cloth) of the Indians, complemented by the inevitable pipe and sac-à-feu (beaded pouch) hanging from the sash.

One would expect Voyageurs to be men of heroic proportions, but usually they were not. The average Voyageur was five feet six inches in height. Had they been taller, they would have occupied too much precious space in the canot(canoe) already overloaded with provisions (cargo). But though the Voyageur was short, he was strong. He could paddle fifteen – yes, if necessary – eighteen hours per day for weeks on end and joke beside the campfire at the close of the day. He could carry from 250 to 400 pounds of merchandise on his back over rocky portages at a pace which made unburdened travelers pant for breath in their endeavour not to be left behind.

To aid paddling under conditions of difficulty or monotony, the Voyageurs sang. Songs were chosen whose rhythm was such that the paddles could keep time to the music. Ordinarily the steersman chose the song and gave the pitch. Sometimes he sang the stanza and the others joined in the chorus. In the parlance of his fellows he was a solo. Voyageurs were chosen partly with respect to their vocal abilities, and the effect of six to fourteen of them in full song was quite impressive. Of course, they sang in French – of the canoes, of their country, of their life, of their loves, of their church – sentimental romances, old ballads, humourous jingles, and lofty poems. These songs, many of which were inheritances from French Troubadours of the Medieval Ages, gave to their strokes rhythm and drive, performing in a way the function of the sea shanties for sailors.

To understand the Voyageur completely one must accompany him on one of his trips from Montréal into the pays d’en haut(upstairs country), as he termed the Northwest.

Any year between 1770 and 1840, Montréal Island was the scene of much commotion on the May morning set for the departure of a brigade of canots for the Northwest. As soon as the bourgeouis (agent) and come to terms with hisengage (employees), and engagements (contract) was signed. He agreed not to desert his master, not to give aid or encouragement to his master’s rivals during the period of his engagement. They were printed in French, with spaces left for the Voyageurs name, his home, the wages he was to receive, and any special provisions.

The Voyageur’s equipment consisted of a blanket, shirt, a pair of trousers, two hankerchiefs, several pounds of carrot tobacco (a carrot-shaped twist of tobacco). their goods were packed into pièces each weighing up to ninety pounds. Two of these pièces make an ordinary load for portaging, but stories were told of those who carried up to eight at once.

The route lay along the St. Lawrence to its confluence with the Ottawa and up that stream to the point where the Mattawa River joins it from the West. In this distance on la grand rivière there were eighteen portages. There were also approximately as many décharges: to these numerous falls and rapids were given names such as les chats (the cats), la chaudière (the kettle), les allumettes (the matches) and la calumet (the peace pipe).

On the second evening after the departure from Montréal, when the campement had been made in a pine-sheltered nook on the bank of the river, when souper had been eaten around the blazing fire, and whilst smoke from many pipes lay like a cloud against the dark forest trees, the call for une chanson was issued.

Reproduit sous l’autorisation du Festival du Voyageur inc.

There have been many different renditions of the voyageur songs over the years….some sung by camp groups around a campfire or on a canoe trip. The Canadian folk group, Tanglefoot, recorded two such songs which appeared on Canoesongs Volume I and II, http://www.tanglefootmusic.com/music/index.php:

La V’la M’amie

Traditional Voyaguer Song, on Canoesongs Volume I

Arrangement: Joe Grant, Steve Ritchie, Al Parrish and Bob Wagar

M’en revenant de la jolie Rochelle J’ai rencontre trois jolies demoiselles

Chorus La V’la M’amie que j’aime, j’aime, j’aime, La V’la M’amie que j’aime La V’la M’amie que j’aime, j’aime, j’aime, La V’la M’amie que j’aime

J’ai point choisi, mais j’ai pris la plus belle

Chorus

J’l’y fis monter derriere moi sur ma selle

Chorus

J’y fis cent lieu sans parler avec elle

Chorus

Paddle Like Hell!

Traditional; arranged by Steve Ritchie, Sandra Swannell and Terry Young

Originally released as C’est l’aviron/V’là l’bon vent on Canoesongs Volume II, Portage Productions, April 2006

M’en revenant de la jolie Rochelle M’en revenant de la jolie Rochelle J’ai rencontré trois jolies demoiselles C’est l’aviron qui nous mène qui nous mène C’est l’aviron que nous mène en haut

J’ai rencontré trois jolies demoiselles J’ai rencontré trois jolies demoiselles J’ai point choisi mais j’ai pris la plus belle C’est l’aviron qui nous mène qui nous mène C’est l’aviron que nous mène en haut

J’ai point choisi mais j’ai pris la plus belle J’ai point choisi mais j’ai pris la plus belle J’l’y fis monter derrière moi sur ma selle C’est l’aviron qui nous mène qui nous mène C’est l’aviron que nous mène en haut

V’là l’bon vent v’là l’joli vent V’là l’bon vent m’amie m’appelle V’là l’bon vent v’là l’joli vent V’là l’bon vent m’amie m’attend

Derrière chez nous y’a-t-un étang Derrière chez nous y’a-t-un étang Trois beaux canards s’en vont baignant

Trois beaux canards s’en vont baignant Trois beaux canards s’en vont baignant Le fils du roi s’en va chassant

Le fils du roi s’en va chassant Le fils du roi s’en va chassant Avec son grand fusil d’argent

M’en revenant de la jolie Rochelle M’en revenant de la jolie Rochelle J’ai rencontré trois jolies demoiselles C’est l’aviron V’là l’bon vent v’là l’joli vent C’est l’aviron V’là l’bon vent v’là l’joli vent C’est l’aviron V’là l’bon vent v’là l’joli vent C’est l’aviron que nous mène en haut

Then there is The Sons of the Voyageur, http://www.heartistrymusic.com/artists/sov.html, are described as such:Journey back in time with the Sons of the Voyageur. These engaging “edu-tainers” bring the fur trade era to life through songs of the voyageurs in a multimedia rear-projection slide presentation featuring close to 100 images. In their interactive musical theatre performance you will hear authentic fur trade era songs sung a capella in three and four part harmony, and be led from Montreal to Grand Portage as the lifestlye of the Voyageur is portrayed in authentic period costume. An extensive collection of paddling, working and playing songs form the basis of this exciting historical overview of the life and times of a voyageur.

The group consists of (left to right in the photo) Grant Herman, Tom Yost, Gary Hecimovich, Tom Draughton, and Ron Hobart.

The Sons of the Voyageur, Bien travailler

Sixteen chansons of the voyageurs, plus the Canadian National Anthem. Sung a capella by Les fils du voyageur, The Sons of the Voyageur.

Table of Contents

1. Bien travailler
2. C’est l’aviron
3. J’ai tant dansé
4. Charmant Rossignol
5. Aux Illinois
6. C’est dans la ville de Rouen
7. Bonhomme, Bonhomme
8. En montant la rivière
9. Ma bouteille m’est fidèle
10. Monsieur le curé
11. Un voyageur errant
12. J’ai cueille la belle rose
13. Hier sur le pont d’Avignon
14. Sur le pont d’Avignon
15. Bon soir, mes amis!
16. Chanson du voyageur
17. O! Canada!

The Sons of the Voyageur, Canot d’Écorce

Twenty chansons including some of the most famous voyageur songs. Sung a capella by Les fils du voyageur, The Sons of the Voyageur.

Table of Contents

1. Fringue! Fringue!
2. A la claire fontaine
3. Mariez moi
4. I Went to the Market
5. Dans mon canot d’écorce
6. Gai lon la
7. Luron luré
8. Beti batan delum
9. Tourterelle
10. Ah! Si mon moine voulait dansé
11. A Saint Malo
12. En roulant ma boule
13. La fille du Roi d’Espagne
14. Envoyons d’l’avant
15. V’la l’bon vent
16. Blanche comme la neige
17. Voici l’hiver arrivé
18. Dans l’Mississippi
19. Youpe! Youpe!
20. La grande et la petite

James Raffan wrote in Bark, Skin and Cedar, of another musical group steeped in voyageur songs, describing them performing at a dance with a voyageur theme:

The band for the costumed occasion was called “Rubaboo”, after pemmican soup, and included a line-up of musicians who, in their real lives, were about as close to modern-day voyageurs as one can get. There was Peter Labor, who runs an outfitting and tour firm on Lake Superior; Jeremy Ward, a birchbark-canoe builder; and a third troubadour who, by association with the other two and in his ceinture flechee, was voyageur enough for me.

Rubaboo was a basic stew or porridge consumed by ‘coureurs des bois’ and  ‘voyageurs’ (fur traders) and Metis people of North America, traditionally made of peas or corn (or both) with grease (bear or pork) and a thickening agent (bread or flour). Pemmican and maple sugar were also commonly added to the mixture. The musical group Rubaboo has performed at the Canadian Canoe Museum and other such venues. Their music is very much inspired by the voyageurs. As noted one member of this group was Jeremy Ward.

Jeremy Ward is the curator of the Canadian Canoe Museum. Jeremy has been involved with the museum for over a decade as a volunteer and staff member. He developed and carried out a number of significant projects and programs, perhaps the most notable of which was the research and construction of a 36’ birchbark canoe. Working before the public at the museum and leading a team of dedicated volunteers, Jeremy built an authentic, working example of the canot du maitre, the workhorse vehicle of the 18th and early 19th century fur trade in Canada. (This canoe along with Jeremy was featured in Ray Mears’ fine series The Northern Wilderness.) He has also designed and built the Preserving Skills Gallery and the Voyageur Encampment diorama.

The Canadian Canoe Museum (http://www.canoemuseum.ca/) includes exhibits depicting various aspects of the voyageur’s life and times, including much on the fur trade. Two educational programs offered for Grades 4/5/6/7/8 at the Canoe Museum are:

TRAPPERS AND TRADERS

Summary

Trappers and Traders takes students of the middle-school age into the heart of the fur trade through the exploration of various peoples and characters who participated in this sweeping element of Canadian history.  Then through a series of costumed experiential role playing vignettes at our trading dock and voyageur encampment.  Stories, terms, French language, navigation, post locations, trade items, portaging practice, period food and manipulation of various types of furs make this an engaging experience for all.

FUR TRADE GAME

Summary

Students take on the role of a trader with the Hudson’s Bay Company and explore the fur trade industry while trading information for furs and then furs for European goods.    They experience the emotional and physical challenges of the fur trade while gaining accurate knowledge of what life really was like in that industry. It’s a real game!

Here are some photos of exhibits related to the fur trade and voyageurs from the Canadian Canoe Museum:

Trading Post

North Canoe, laden with trade goods.

Photos from Canadian Canoe Museum, http://www.canoemuseum.ca/index.php?option=com_phocagallery&view=category&id=1&Itemid=107.

Paddles up until later then….and remember each time we dip our paddles into the water that we echo the songs of past paddlers….including the voyageurs.

Using A Tumpline To Portage A Canoe (Especially A Wood Canvas Canoe)….And Revisting Thoughts On Portages

I’ve been asked about using a tumpline with a canoe for portaging….specifically a wood canvas canoe)….I once posted a reply on SoloTripping.com that I thought was worth repeating here:

I have used a tumpline….as well as a yoke….the tumpline was good especially if no yoke present….many find carved yokes are not satisfactory for portaging….and prefer a tumpline on a centre thwart….

I have a yoke that is not so ‘carved’ on my favourite wood canvas canoe….and I manage quite well with just that….

   

Photos by yours truly showing detail of yoke in my favourite green canoe.

However my portages tend to be mostly short these days (old age I guess LOL LOL)….if I was doing longer and harder portages regularly I would be very tempted to use a tumpline….

Here are some opinions on using a tumpline to portage:

From How to Portage a Canoe !, is this (although not specific to wood canvas canoes):

First of all the author makes these comments:

Lashing paddles to make a yoke. More of a guillotine than a yoke, when you wipe out. You will wipe out someday…we all do. The lashing shifts around, wastes time setting up, and the canoe will pound your shoulders.

The carved yoke. The purpose of a carved wooden yoke is to sell canoes and its job is done once the canoe leaves the showroom. It is not carved for your shoulders, my shoulders, or the shoulders of anyone you know. Even if it were, it would only fit when the canoe is level. Like any yoke, it is designed to pound your shoulders and inflict pain within the first 100 meters. It is also intended to slice into your neck on your way downhill, and slide off going uphill. Your arm is meant to fall asleep as you grasp the gunwhale to keep the canoe in place. At least if you wipe out the canoe will roll off you.

Then he describes using a tumpline:

The Tump Strap

The weight of the canoe is ultimately supported by your spine, so why not direct the load there as directly as possible? This is why North American Indians first used a leather tump strap over their forehead, tied to either side of the centre thwart. The weight is off my shoulders. Most of the weight is directly down my spine and the thwart rides on my back, behind my shoulders. The tump acts as a leaf-spring to absorb shock as I trek down the trail, or run across during a canoe race. You can jog with this method! I use a felt hat to block mosquitos and protect my forehead from the tump’s force.

The author continues with details on his approach to portaging with a tump.

There is a great explanation on using a tump for portaging….specifically a wood canvas canoe….from Camp Nomiinigue in Quebec….at Portaging A Heavy Canoe With A Tump Line. (NOTE: More on these two articles later in this post.)

Further discussion on using a tumpline is found at A Lecture On Tumplines:

The absolute best contemporary discussion of the tumpline I have ever read is in Garrett Conover’s 1991 work, “Beyond the Paddle.” This book is still in print, and while most of it concerns advanced canoe techniques, the section on tumplines is clear and concise. Conover is a huge advocate of the tumpline, and several photographs along with the text show his recommended techniques for use. Conover recommends a tumpline with some form of adjustment between each end of the headstrap and the longer load-lashing straps. “My guess is that those who are vehemently opposed to the tumpline are those who have never used one without taking the time to fine-tune and ensure a proper fit,” he says. “This is the fussiest point in the tumpline equation and requires some patience and experimentation to get right. If one never experiences getting it right, then the anguished howling and abject misery is easy to sympathize with and is entirely justifiable. A tumpline adjusted even a fraction of an inch too long or too short is indeed aggravating beyond belief.”

As Kevin Callan notes in The Pain of Portaging | How To Articles – GuideLines: Paddling.net: A tump strap can help spread the stress of the load and stops the canoe from slipping down your back. Take note, however, that a tump may not be for everyone. By resting the weight directly on the spine, neck muscles are essential.

There have been several discussions on using tumplines on SoloTripping.com, such as  Tumplines: good, bad, yes, no.

In that discussion on SoloTripping.com, I also posted the following:

Murat V. wrote the best of all articles online in his excellent Paddle Making (And Other Canoe Stuff) on tumplines and using them to portage a canoe:

Paddle Making (and other canoe stuff): Canoe Tump Project – Part 1: The Design

Paddle Making (and other canoe stuff): Canoe Tump Project: Part 2 – Assembly

Paddle Making (and other canoe stuff): Canoe Tump Project – Part 3: Using the Rig

Murat also posted about these as well on SoloTripping.com….Song of the Paddle forum….and likely elsewhere (I’m sure I saw other posts by Murat on other canoe related forums)….in Part 3 of this excellent series, Murat covers the use of the tump in portaging a canoe….he mentions many of the same sources I’ve already pointed out in my previous post here….any way, I think Murat says it all in his three part series….

In Paddle Making (and other canoe stuff): Canoe Tump Project – Part 3: Using the Rig, Murat mentioned the two articles I had previously referred to….as Murat points out about the article, How to Portage a Canoe !:

This article by a canoe tump enthusiast suggests a contoured centre yoke is a horrible innovation. His method requires the replacement of the “stinky” centre yoke with 2″ diameter round aluminum tubing. Might work for him but not going to happen with my boat.

He continues with a great discussion on the other article previously mentioned, Portaging A Heavy Canoe With A Tump Line from a presentation made at Canoecopia 2007-2008 by Camp Nomingue staff:

 This full colour, clearly written article outlines all the technical aspects although they tend to use canvas & cord based tumps. Interesting that their lashing method involves securing the tump cord 1.5 inches ahead of the actual centre thwart.

Camp Nominigue Setup 

Murat continues:

Since my leather tump is akin to the Northwest Woodsman’s site, I’ve used his photos and accompanying YouTube video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKmZYdKoYX8, to learn the correct method of lashing it in. The video shows the method for a wanigan first and then for a canoe around the 3:50 mark. His canoe also has a contoured portage yoke just like mine.

NW Woodsman Tump Pics

However, one thing I never quite liked about the paddles being lashed in the claustrophobic space created by sandwiching your head between the blades. While re-reading the classic birchbark canoe text, The Building of a Chippewa Indian Birch-Bark Canoe by Robert E. Ritzenthaler I came across a paragraph (p. 96) describing one native way of using the tumpline. It involved lashing the grip end of the paddles to the centre thwart with the blades pointed towards the bow. The position is such that the the shafts of the paddles are flared away at the yoke resulting in a much more open triangular space. The arms are wrapped around the shafts with the hands loosely griping the sides of the tumpline on the forehead. Here’s the accompanying photo on pg. 95

One Native Tump Method

This last method appealed to me the most. With all tumplines however, trial and error to get it adjusted just right to work properly. While up north for a brief fall getaway, I got a chance to test out the setup. The tump was secured to the yoke with simple hitches but it took me about about 45 minutes of fiddling to finally find the right length. In the end, I figured out that for my boat and yoke, the best measure was when the centre of the tump’s headpiece just touched the bottom of the hull when pressed down with my finger. This will make it much easier to attach/adjust in the future so as not to waste much time.

Laying out; Clove Hitch to Yoke; Re-adjusted length

The slack was used to tie in the grips of two paddles and a piece of 1/2″ wide leather strip was used to secure the blades to the seat. In the end the setup was quite secure.

Grips lashed in; Blades secure; the final setup

Canoe tump portage

The results: I’m totally impressed with the use of tumpline. While my boat isn’t a heavy beast to begin with, the tump and paddle setup really make for an seemingly lighter carry. I walked around the property with the canoe (including uphill) to a parking lot area drawing some funny looks from neighbours and while it wasn’t an authentic bush portage, the tump carry did make a difference on the shoulders. From a safety standpoint, if I slightly shrugged my shoulders up and tilted my head back, the tump would slip off and roll backwards because of the way it was lashed in. A simple hand motion would swing the tump back into place onto the top of the head so it is relatively easy to get in and out if needed.Especially significant was the ability to let go of the paddles and rest the arms while the tump & shoulders balanced the boat. Also, with the bulk of the weight borne by the tumpline, you only really need one hand to secure the boat while moving. To take the picture above, I set up a sawhorse in the driveway, placed the camera on it, set it on a 10 second delay and walked into position, all the while efforlessly balancing the canoe with the tumpline. It may have its critics, but for me, I can see the potential in this piece of gear.

I hope Murat forgives me for using so much material from his blog on the use of the tumpline in portaging a wood canvas canoe….as I stated in the SoloTripping forum:

….in Part 3 of this excellent series, Murat covers the use of the tump in portaging a canoe….he mentions many of the same sources I’ve already pointed out in my previous post here….any way, I think Murat says it all in his three part series….

Let me close with a few thoughts previously mentioned on portaging here:

It’s the portage that makes travelling by canoe unique. – Bill Mason

….portaging is like hitting yourself on the head with a hammer: it feels so good when you stop. – Bill Mason

Anyone who says they like portaging is either a liar or crazy. – Bill Mason

Another prerequisite of good canoe country is short portages. Long portages, and by that I mean portages over half a mile in length, are rare and in the entire area there are on the regular routes perhaps not half a dozen of over a mile. On the average most of them are under a quarter-mile and many even shorter, thanks again to the damming of the river systems by the glacier. When you travel down any chain of lakes, your portages invariably follow the beds of the old creeks connecting them, now perhaps only seepages. If the water is high, it is often possible to paddle directly from one lake to another down the old preglacial channels or perhaps make a simple liftout over a separating ledge or gravel bar into the water above.

In the famous canoe country of Maine, portages are often several miles in length, a distance which makes possible means of transportation only by horse and wagon or even narrow-gauge railway. How much more adventurous and satisfying to throw on your canoe and walk quickly across a short woods trail to the next lake. Then you can enjoy to the full the sensation of being on your own and that in the wilds is half the joy of travelling. True, there are other lake regions to the north of us in Canada, where lakes and rivers are as plentiful, but nowhere will you find them with portages of the type found in the border country. The further north you go, the more muskeg you find and with more muskeg goes inevitably lower shores and swampy trails. Only here in the Quetico-Superior do you find them picturesque and beautiful, a welcome change to muscles weary with paddling, a pleasure rather than a chore. – Sigurd Olson, The Evolution of a Canoe Country, in Minnesota Conservationist, May 1935

May your portages be short and the breezes gentle on your back. - Anonymous

The worst portage ever is the next one! – Scott MacGregor

The thought of having to carry all your worldly possessions on your back has been cause to modify the quintessential Canadian adventure canoe trip in terms of how many portages will be encountered. Paddlers now have mutated their own aspirations of adventure by eliminating the “carry”-the fundamental and historical pith of the journey, and choose a route with the least amount of work involved. - from Grey Owl & Me by Hap Wilson

I have no desire for long portages. That’s like saying I desire traffic jams on the 401 when really all I really desire is to get home.

I have a desire for seclusion, for remoteness, stillness and silence, for portability, speed (when …it’s needed), and lightness. The mantra is “Go quietly, Carry little.” As you know, between Wellesley and Sudbury, often it is the long portages that take you to those places. I can go to Algonquin during peak season and not see another human for days, and I can do this simply by using portages that discourage most–and this is right off of Hwy 60.

And, although portages can be analogous to root-canal, they somehow bring depth and character to the trip, while you’re there, but also in memory. Like a pilgrimage, the physical strain wears down the body and opens it up to and is receptive to the solitude and even transcendence that the portage has brought you to.

Portages also represent something that runs counter to our culture of drive-thru convenience and auto-gratification. There is reward thinking about and completing a portage. At the end of the portage I gulp down the water and it may occur to me that I did not click a button to get this far. My body is almost broken, but the air is sweet. Even outside of the canoe world, there is a link between physical work and gratification and contentment. The link, however, is laid bare on some canoe trips.

In one of Olson’s books, he describes his favourite lake, the perfect lake in his mind, a lake that in the past he had spent days portaging and paddling to get to. One summer he decides to fly in, but quickly concludes that his experience of the lake and the area is not the same, is not as deep and meaningful. He is disconnected. To experience or to feel connected to his surroundings, he felt he needed the portages, the travel, the miles of paddling. The meaning of the place is not merely in the physical location, but in the journey.

Olson reminiscences fondly for both lakes and portages:

“I can still see so many of the lakes (whose shores and hills are forever changed after the storm): Saganaga, Red Rock, Alpine, Knife, Kekekabic, Eddy, Ogishkemunicie, Agamok, Gabimichigami, Sea Gull. It seems like yesterday… the early-morning bear on Brant Lake, that long portage from Hanson Lake to the South Arm of the Knife, that perfect campsite on Jasper Lake…”

I don’t like portages, but they get me to where I want to go. And out there, it seems that while I don’t like them, they are the tough-lovers of canoe trip: they know better than me in preparing me for the place I am trying to get to both physically and emotionally. – Paul Hoy

It not just about the trail one travels, as much as how one gets there….just as life is not so much about the destination as the journey….even with the portages LOL LOL. And when one gets to travel by canoe through wilderness, then one reconnects with the land….with the water….with the rocks and trees….with the whole environment….and maybe also with one’s self.

Paddles up until later then….and remember that life is not about its destination, but its journey….the journey might be tough, long and winding….but it’s sure worth the walk….or the paddle at least LOL LOL. – Mike Ormsby

As you near the far shore’s portage, you feel fresh, ready to carry the canoe Over the short yet rocky trail into the next small but distant lake Perhaps even to a welcoming campsite under the pines Settling down for the night under sparkling stars Maybe even catching glimpse of a shooting star or the Northern Lights

The cedar and canvas canoe rolls up onto your shoulders Not too much weight, a bit more than you remember from last year Just enough to let you know you’re still alive You double the carry over so you don’t overdo it Or maybe it’s just to take more time to see where you’re at

As you rest by a waterfall beside the path, you reflect on the day….on what lies ahead Still a few hours left before the sun sets….should be a full moon tonight Maybe you’ll hear the howl of a wolf…. the echo of a loon from a nearby lake You feel good….at ease….at home….and far from being alone The canoe and you have journeyed far…and still have farther yet to go

For each trip takes you away from the daily grind With each paddle stroke, there is definitely a greater peace of mind So you pick up your pack, walking the last of the portage Upon arrival, you launch the canoe onto the shining waters You and the canoe dance on into the remaining daylight – Mike Ormsby

Paddles up until later….and remember as the cedar and canvas canoe rolls up onto your shoulders: hopefully there is not too much weight….maybe a bit more than you remember from last year….but just enough to let you know you’re still alive….

Next time you portage, think of using a tumpline to ease the portage of your wood canvas canoe….maybe even with any canoe….

And think of where portages can lead you….certainly not just away from the crowds….

Have Paddle Will Travel

What sets a canoeing expedition apart is that it purifies you more rapidly and inescapably than any other. Travel a thousand miles by train and you are a brute; pedal five hundred on a bicycle and you remain basically bourgeois; paddle a hundred in a canoe and you already a child of nature.– Pierre Elliott Trudeau

At this time of year many folks are getting ready to set off on a canoe trip. Such trips last from a few days to a couple of weeks. But there have been many long canoe trips over the history of paddling….so I thought I would highlight a few such trips.

Obviously the fur trade resulted in many long canoe journeys….these routes began with the French and then grew with the Hudson’s Bay Company and its Montreal based rival, North West Company….the Canadian Encyclopedia: Fur Trade Routes states:

Throughout the period of the historical fur trade, water routes were the natural “highways,” and canoes (later boats – principally York boats) the vehicles. The placement of trading posts depended on the presence of numbers of Indians willing and able to trade, and on the ease of transportation to and from them. In the Atlantic region, the absence of a dominant river system resulted in only a localized traffic in furs, but the French tapped a vastly greater potential via the St Lawrence River and its tributaries.

At posts at Tadoussac, Québec and Montréal, they received furs from the Montagnais,  Algonquin,  Huron  and Ottawa who travelled various rivers from the King’s Domain, or came down the Ottawa River from Lake Timiskaming and beyond. But most important to the later trade was the route the French themselves developed to the west via the St Lawrence, Ottawa and French rivers; by the 1740s they had extended it to the head of Lake Superior and thence to the prairies. After the conquest of 1759-60 this route was adopted by anglophone independent traders and then by the North West Company. From Kaministiquia (later Fort William) the route inland began at Grand Portage and twisted north and west through a series of rivers and lakes marked by over 50 tortuous portages. From Lake Winnipeg the traders headed west via the 2 branches of the Saskatchewan River; many went northwest via Methye Portage [Portage La Loche] to Lake Athabasca.

The other major route was that of the London-based Hudson’s Bay Company through Hudson Bay. When that company began to move inland in 1774 with the construction of Cumberland House on the Saskatchewan, most of its traffic inland was by the Hayes River from York Factory. In the direct competition that ensued between the HBC and other traders, the rivals paced one another westward across the prairies. Eventually the routes proceeded via the Howse, Athabasca and Yellowhead passes through the Rocky Mountains and down the Columbia River to the Pacific region.

After 1814 HBC ships rounded Cape Horn to service Pacific posts by sea. As the more southerly trade declined, traders moved down the Mackenzie River into the western Arctic and from the East Main (east coast of Hudson Bay) inland. Access to Fort Chimo and Labrador was generally by sea. After the merger of the NWC and HBC in 1821, shipments through Montréal ceased. 

This period of Canada’s history included many great explorers….many looking for new fur trade opportunities….Champlain La Salle, Radisson, Hearne, Pond, Mackenzie and Thompson are some of the notable names involved….from Canadian Encyclopedia: Alexander Mackenzie is this map:

Exploration, Western Interior

From Canadian Encyclopedia: Fur Trade Routes

Fur Trade Posts

As is summed up in It Takes 30: Guns, Germs And Fur Trade:

It was the fur trade that created the impetus for developing a vast network of transportation routes, largely based on canoes, that connected the interior with the growing settlements at the edges.  The trade also offered career options for fur company employees: guides, translators, navigators and negotiators, and especially the voyageurs who traveled deep into the mysterious interior of Canada to bring back the furs.  [The lives they lived look pretty miserable to us now: 14-16 hour days of constant paddling, occasionally interrupted by a portage, in which they would carry at least 180 pounds of furs — repeatedly — across rugged terrain.  They often suffered hernias, and they ate mostly pemmican (dried bison meat), but they sang a lot, and so are now considered deeply romantic figures.]

A normal voyageur contract for a so-called “homme du nord” was 2 years long, because it was impossible to get all the way up to the north and back before winter hit.   Many stayed much longer; one analysis of trader residence patterns estimated that the average trader spent 16 years in the interior.  Many traders married, or “married”, native women, and had children who were dubbed the Metis, now a significant ethnic group in Canada. Though the fur trade was important, the number of voyageurs was not enormous: in the first half of the 18th century, there were only between 50 and 150 employees of the fur trade companies in the interior, and even at the beginning of the 19th century this number was only ~1600.  Around 1870, the traditional fur trade ended, and so did the migration….

Some major fur trade routes, travelled by canoe and portage, from It Takes 30: Guns, Germs And Fur Trade.

From the HBC Heritage: Fur Trade is this description:

Almost from the beginning Rupert’s Land had been penetrated by independent fur traders. In fact, Radisson and des Groseilliers were merely the first in a very long line of such men. For the independents the existence of the Hudson’s Bay Company Charter was a minor annoyance rather than a real impediment to business. Realizing that no monopoly could be enforced where the Company had no presence, they staked their claims in the interior. Meanwhile Hbc established a small chain of forts along Hudson Bay, and waited patiently for the natives to arrive each spring with another season’s worth of furs.

Notwithstanding the travels of Henry Kelsey, Anthony Henday, Joseph Colen and others, who reported the presence of French traders inland, it wasn’t until1774 that the Company realized it had to protect its interests. When Samuel Hearne was sent inland that year to establish Cumberland House, Hbc’s first interior post, he situated it not far from Fort Pasquia (Opasquia; Paskoyac; modern day The Pas), a post founded by the sons of Sieur de la Verendrye in 1741. Hbc had begun to recognize that the amount of fur arriving at the Bay was being negatively impacted by the “pedlars” (as it called the French) who were choking off the supply at its source.

For the first few years the company existed as a series of short-term partnerships which lasted for one trading cycle each. But by 1783 the NWC was a permanent entity. Led by shrewd, courageous and enterprising Scottish-Canadian traders from Montreal, the NWC quickly built a commercial structure which spanned the continent, the first North American company to operate on such a scale. In doing so, it openly defied the Royal Charter.By 1784, another fur trading company had begun to have a serious impact on Hbc’s profits. The North West Company (NWC) was a partnership of nine different fur trading groups and soon became Hbc’s most powerful rival. It had been founded in 1779 when his support of a British embargo of the Great Lakes – intended to deny guns, ammunition and goods to the rebel Americans – led the governor of Quebec to refuse to issue trading licenses to the Montreal traders. Although persuaded to change his mind, the damage was done. It was too late in the year for goods to reach the farthest regions and many merchants suffered serious losses. It occurred to one of them, Simon McTavish, that the traders’ influence would be greater if they worked together. Not only would they have more clout, but they could pool resources, minimize risks and share the profits. The North West Company was born.

Unlike the sedentary Baymen, the men of the North West Company were constantly on the move. The Nor’Westers, as they were known, lived, wintered and worked mostly to the west of Hudson Bay. Vigorous competition for the fur trade took them over the Rocky Mountains and even to the Arctic Ocean. Most of the key explorers of these regions – Alexander Mackenzie, Simon Fraser, David Thompson and Peter Pond – were Nor’Westers. They showed their disdain for Hbc’s Charter rights by building their forts right beside those of Hbc at strategic trading points. One such location was Edmonton, where Hbc’s fort and the NWC’s Fort Augustus were neighbours.

The NWC was different from Hbc in significant ways. Based inNorth America it was owned and operated by men who were themselves active in the business. Many of the partners had themselves travelled into the interior and traded there. These hivernants – or “wintering partners” – well knew the business they directed and had a personal stake in the company’s success. They were, for the most part, Scots, and were bound by ties of nationality as well as close kinship through the clan structure. In contrast, Hbc’s directors and investors were primarily English noblemen and financiers, who governed the Company from afar. Their interest in the business was overwhelmingly financial and their actual knowledge of the trade was second-hand at best.

The NWC’s cycle was much longer and more expensive. Its voyageurs had to cover four times the distance overland as did Hbc simply to reach Lake Winnipeg. Canoe brigades leaving Montreal in late spring took 8 weeks to reach Fort William, the NWC’s great inland depot (modern Thunder Bay). There the previous year’s furs were loaded for the return trip to Montreal where they arrived in September. They would not be sent on to London for auction until April of the following year – almost a full year later.But the key difference between the two companies – and the one which would ultimately prove insurmountable to the NWC – was economic. The sea route to Hudson Bay, notwithstanding its attendant hardships, was a huge advantage. It enabled Hbc to benefit from a short business cycle. Ships could leave England, travel to Hudson Bay, offload goods, pick up furs and return to England in the space of about 5 months. A complete business cycle – from shipment of goods to return of furs in payment for those goods – normally took 14 months.

Detail showing trade routes for Hudson’s Bay Company and the North West Company, map by Jack McMaster, 2004, from HBC Heritage: Fur Trade.

Meanwhile the goods offloaded at Fort William were shipped further west and north, arriving at their final destinations before freeze up. Traders could not ship the season’s furs out until the following summer, after the thaw, for the return journey to Fort William and onward toMontreal. The complete business cycle was almost 2 years, closer to three if one accounts for the procurement of trade goods and eventual sale of the resulting furs inLondon. The further the distances travelled, the greater the costs incurred – and the lower the profit. As the NWC expanded to the Pacific Northwest and the Athabaska regions – both areas rich in prime furs – profit margins decreased.

I do recommend reading about the likes of Samuel Hearne, Alexander Mackenzie and David Thompson….and check out some of the BBC TV programs by Ray Mears, especially his Northern Wilderness series (which were reproduced on YouTube and are listed under the links to the left of this blog….incredible series….but I do wonder why a Brit can tell our history so well….so why not a Canadian????).

Towards the end of the fur trade era, George Simpson became the key player for the HBC….as the Canadian.ca: George Simpson describes:

Sir George Simpson, Governor of Rupert’s Land, Stephen Pearce, HBCA, PAM 1987/363-S-25/T78 (N13855), Painted 1857, Hudson’s Bay Company Archives, Provincial Archives of Manitoba, from Canadiana.ca: Pop-Up: Sir George Simpson.

George Simpson was born in Scotland. The unemployment rate was very high there so, at the age of 14, he went to England in search of work. When he was 30, his relatives found him a job with HBC offices in London. In 1820 he became the chief officer of a trading post. In 1820 he was sent to North Americato take charge should the company’s governor be arrested by the North West Company.

Simpson was made governor of the northern department in 1821 after the merger with the North West Company. He was described as cold hearted, but fair. He was good at making peace between the fur traders who had once been enemies. He was a strict businessman who did not want any waste.

He wanted the business to be run differently after the wild, disorganized days of the fur trade wars. As a result, he made surprise visits to trading posts to check on the employees. He got rid of unnecessary trading posts and fired extra fur traders.

Governor of Rupert’s Land on a tour of inspection (Governor George Simpson), L.L. Fitzgerald, (from a photo of a painting by Cyrus C. Cuneo), from Canadian.ca: Pop-Up: George Simpson In A Canoe. (NOTE: Simpson was a very formal person. When visiting fur posts, he wore a long black coat and a top hat. When he entered the post, he had a bagpiper playing music! See the bagpiper in the canoe.)

HBC York Boats at Norway House, Walter J. Phillips, from the HBC Corporate Collection, from Canadian.ca: Pop-Up: HBC York Boats.

(NOTE: York boats had flat bottoms and a pointed bow, and were based on a very old design – Viking longships. They could carry three times as many furs as the largest canoe, but had one big disadvantage: they were heavy and could not be carried the same way canoes could. For portaging, a road had to be cut through the trees and logs used as rollers for the boat to go over.)

Simpson realized the importance of finding new fur supplies. He also understood the value of conservation. When the fur supply was getting low in an area, he advised the traders to stop trapping the animals until the population increased again.

Efficiency was important to running a profitable business. Simpson decided to change the method of travel used by the traders from canoe toYork boats. This was because theYork boats could carry more supplies.

The fur trading area was divided into districts. Each district had its own supervisor. Simpson was put in charge of all the supervisors and became the governor in chief in 1826. He died in 1860. 

Simpson’s canoe journeys are described in Dictionary Of Canadian Biography Online: George Simpson

….Accompanied by James McMillan, Simpson left York Factory (Man.) on15 Aug. 1824in a north (or light) canoe manned by eight men and an Indian guide. This was the first, and in many respects the most remarkable, of his transcontinental journeys. The journal which he kept reflects the characteristics Simpson manifested throughout his life – exceptional observational powers, a compulsion to demonstrate courage and physical endurance in the face of adversity, and a passion for record-breaking speed. Six weeks after he left York Factory, Simpson overtook Chief Factor John McLoughlin’s party which had set out 20 days before him. McLoughlin, a veteran fur trader and former Nor’Wester, was on his way to the Columbia to take charge of the district. Simpson arrived at Fort George (Astoria, Oreg.) on 8 November, ending a journey of 84 days, 20 fewer than the previous record from Hudson Bayto the Pacific. During the next four months he and McLoughlin developed the plans that enabled the company to take the offensive against both the Russians, who were trading up the coast to the north, and the Americans, and eventually to dominate the fur trade from theColumbiatoAlaska. As part of this strategy Peter Skene Ogden was to conduct trading into the Snake River country to the south and McMillan was sent north in 1827 to establish Fort Langley (B.C.).

      Simpson left Fort Vancouver (Vancouver, Wash.) for the return trip in March 1825 and, once again travelling at record-breaking speed, reached the Red River colony two and a half months later. He then made his way to York Factory…. 

Later in the same article:

….Though his headquarters were at Montreal, Simpson’s passion for arduous journeys continued unabated. He still drove himself at a frenetic pace. In 1826 he travelled to York Factory to meet with the Council of the Northern Department, and after spending the winter months in Montreal he set off in the spring of 1827 on a trip that took him to Michipicoten (Michipicoten River, Ont.), where he convened the Council of the Southern Department, and then again to York Factory. Heading back towards Montreal, he made a tour of the territory covered by the Southern Department, going up the English River (Ont.), through the rivers and lakes of the Lake Nipigon district to the Albany River, down to James Bay, on to Moose Factory, the departmental headquarters, and finally up the Abitibi and down the Ottawa rivers to the St Lawrence….

Still later:

….Almost to the end of his life he continued his canoe voyages to various company posts. During his 40 years of service with the company, in fact, he made at least one major journey every year, with the exception of three years when he was in London. He explained this exhausting activity by the need to keep himself informed, but there was undoubtedly an element in his nature which required these repeated tests of his constitution. The travels also had a remarkable effect on him. He periodically suffered from eye trouble, but his vision seemed to improve when he stepped into a canoe. The depression which seized him several times during his life lifted when he went on his grand tours and he once noted, “It is strange that all my ailments vanish as soon as I seat myself in a canoe.” In 1850, however, he wrote that “the journeys to the interior & the duties I have there discharged for upwards of thirty years are becoming increasingly irksome, & unless circumstances may arise which appear to render my presence desirable I shall not in all probability recross the height of land.” ….

One of his amazing canoe journeys was written up as Peace River: A Canoe Voyage From Hudson’s Bay To Pacific By The Late Sir George Simpson, Governor Hudson’s Bay Company, in 1828, by Archibald McDonald (a former HBC Chief Factor) in 1872. (NOTE: This is an interesting read.) More on Sir George Simpson can be found in The Emperor Of The North: Sir George Simpson and the Remarkable Story of the Hudson‘s Bay Company by James Raffan.

In 1967, as part of Canada’s Centennial celebrations, a re-enactment of the the fur trade routes in Canada was put on, known as the Centennial Voyageur Canoe Pageant. In All Business.com: The Centennial Voyageur Canoe Pageant as Historical Re-enactment, Dr. Misao Anne Dean describes this event as:

In 1967, the Canadian Centennial Commission sponsored a canoe race across Canada as part of the national Centennial celebrations. The race, from Rocky Mountain House (near Edmonton) to the site of Expo ’67 in Montreal, followed a route that had been used by the North West Company in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to transport trade goods and furs between Montreal and the isolated commercial outposts on the Saskatchewan and Winnipeg rivers, and in the North. Canoes representing eight provinces1 and the two northern territories, paddled by all-male teams of six (along with spare paddlers and a support crew), left Rocky Mountain House on 24 May and arrived at Expo on 4 September, to be welcomed by the Centennial Commission Chair John Fisher, and Secretary of State Judy Lamarsh in a live, nationally televised ceremony. The Voyageur Canoe Pageant was one of the most successful national Centennial events, with extensive radio and television coverage, and 67 front-page stories, 76 editorials and columns, and 4 complete colour supplements in local regional and national newspapers (Centennial Commission 1967). The arrival of the voyageurs in small communities was also a successful catalyst for local celebrations; sporting headbands and bright red Centennial sashes, team members participated in countless official welcomes, historical re-enactments, bison barbeques, sprint races, beauty pageants, parades, and other Centennial events organized specifically to mark their passage.

The CBC Archives: The Canadian Voyageur Canoe Pageant contains a radio broadcast of the opening of the event, described as:

Ten canoes plus 100 men racing over 3,300 miles in 104 days equals one big Centennial project. It’s Canada’s 100th birthday this year, and the Centennial Voyageur Canoe Pageant is just one way people are celebrating the country’s past and looking to its future. The CBC’s Bill Guest hosts the network’s live radio coverage of the pageant’s launch on the North Saskatchewan River at Rocky Mountain House, Alta.

The competitors, representing eight provinces and two territories, are tracing a route through rushing rivers, along windswept lakes and across gruelling portages. It’s a way of paying homage to the fur-trading voyageurs and explorers who opened up the country, and spectators in the hundreds have turned out to watch the official start on a rainy day. CBC reporter Doug McIlraith talks to two team captains from Manitoba and New Brunswick about the journey ahead. 

Photo from the CBC Archives: The Canadian Voyageur Canoe Pageant.

Years later a participant for Manitoba’s Centennial Voyageur Canoe Pageant entry, Don Starkell completed what is likely the longest canoe trip ever….while at least this how the CBC Archives: The Longest Canoe Trip Ever describes it:

The longest canoe trip ever

Broadcast Date: Oct. 13, 1987

Medium: Television

Program: The Fifth Estate

Broadcast Date: Oct. 13, 1987

Guest(s): Don Starkell, Dana Starkell, Jeff Starkell

Host: Hana Gartner

Duration: 14:20

There may never be another canoe trip like it. On June 1, 1980, Don Starkell of Winnipeg and his two sons, Dana and Jeff, set out from the shores of the Red River on a mammoth voyage. Their quest: to paddle all the way to coastal Brazil via the Mississippi River, the Gulf of Mexico and the Amazon and Orinoco rivers in South America. Jeff left in despair in Mexico, leaving Don and Dana to attempt the most arduous part of the journey. As illustrated in this 1987 report from CBC-TV’s the fifth estate they were shot at, robbed and jailed, and endured persistent physical agony. But incredibly and against all the odds, they made it.

The longest canoe trip ever (some additional facts)

• Don Starkell was born December 7, 1932 in Winnipeg. His childhood involved stays in an orphanage and in a foster home. He took up canoeing in his teens and at age 17 was named most outstanding novice at the city’s Kildonan Canoe Club.• As shown in this clip, Don was a member of the winning team in the 1967 Centennial Voyageur Canoe Pageant. The 104-day race began at Rocky Mountain House, Alberta and ended in Montreal, the site of Expo 67.

• In 1973, Dana and Jeff were just 12 and 11 years old when the three climbed Banff’s Mount Rundle, a 9,000-foot summit.

• The Winnipeg to Belem voyage involved two lengthy recuperation periods, from November 1980 to February 1981 in Veracruz, Mexico (where Jeff departed) and from October 14, 1981 to January 1, 1982 in Trinidad. The trip ended at Belem, Brazil on May 2, 1982.

• In 1986, Guinness World Records recognized Don and Dana Starkell for having completed the longest canoe journey ever, a distance of 19,603 kilometres (12,181 miles).

• In 1990, Don Starkell set out to trace the Northwest Passage by kayak. The 4,830 kilometre trip took him three years and had to be terminated less than 60 kilometres from its end point at Tuktoyaktuk, NWT, due to frostbite and encroaching winter temperatures. Starkell lost the tops of his fingers and some of his toes.

• Victoria Jason was Starkell’s partner on some of that Arctic trip. She is the first woman to paddle solo through the Northwest Passage and wrote a book on the adventure, Kabloona in the Yellow Kayak. In it, Jason is very critical of Starkell and his canoeing style. Starkell responded to the criticism in an interview with the canoeing website Che-Mun. He said that he trained Jason personally and made compromises so that she could accompany him on the trip.

• Starkell is the author of two books. Paddle to the Amazon details the two-year journey from Winnipeg to Brazil. Paddle to the Arctic recounts the Northwest Passage expedition.

• Starkell was inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in 2006.

As mentioned above, Don Starkell is the author of two books: Paddle to the Amazon details the two-year journey from Winnipeg to Brazil….Paddle to the Arctic recounts the Northwest Passage expedition. Both books are well worth reading. So is the book by Victoria Jason, Kabloona in the Yellow Kayak.

There have been others who have journeyed far in canoes….such as the story of Nathaniel H. Bishop and this incredible journey by paper canoe he took (which I mentioned in Reflections On the Outdoors Naturally: Paper Canoe)….it was described in his book Voyage of the Paper Canoe: A Geographical Journey of 2500 Miles, From Quebec to the Gulf of Mexico, During the Years 1874-5. Another online resource about this amazing journey was Path and Paddle: Paper Canoe, which describes the part of his trip through Florida….as well as a bit about the journey itself….I thought it would be great to reproduce that article here:

Voyage of the Paper Canoe; a geographical journey of 2500 miles, from Quebec to the Gulf of Mexico, during the years 1874-5

In the summer of 1874 Nathaniel Holmes Bishop and an assistant set out on a 2,500 mile paddle from Quebec to Florida’s Cedar Keys on the Gulf of Mexico. Some 400 miles into the trip, he swapped his 18-foot wooden canoe for an innovative and much lighter weight paper canoe, designed and constructed by Elisha Waters & Sons of Troy, New York.

The 37-year old outdoorsman, who had already authored a previous trekking tale entitled One Thousand Miles Walk Across South America, dismissed his helper and resumed a solo canoe journey, dedicating his narrative of the trip to the employees of the U.S. Coast Survey Bureau.

The final chapter of the Voyage of the Paper Canoe begins at Lower Mineral Springs on the Suwanee River after a 35-mile portage. Bishop is joined by a party of friends, including Major John Purviance, Commissioner of Suwanee County, who offered to escort the paper canoe down “the river of song.”

This is an excerpt from N.H. Bishop’s fascinating journal:

It was nearly ten o’clock A. M. on Friday, March 26th, when our merry party left Old Town hammock. This day was to see the end of the voyage of the paper canoe, for my tiny craft was to arrive at the waters of the great southern sea before midnight. The wife and daughters of our host, like true women of the forest, offered no forebodings at the departure of the head of their household, but wished him, with cheerful looks, a pleasant voyage to the Gulf. The gulf port of Cedar Keys is but a few miles from the mouth of the Suwanee River. The railroad which terminates at Cedar Keys would, with its connection with other routes, carry the members of our party to their several homes.

The bright day animated our spirits, as we swept swiftly down the river. The party in the shad-rowed merrily on with song and laughter, while I made an attempt to examine more closely the character of the water-moccasin — the Trigono cephaluspiscivorus of Lacepede, — which I had more cause to fear than the alligators of the river. The water moccasin is about two feet in length, and has a circumference of five or six inches. The tail possesses a horny point about half an inch in length, which is harmless, though the Crackers and Negroes stoutly affirm that when it strikes a tree the tree withers and dies, and when it enters the flesh of a man he is poisoned unto death.

The color of the reptile is a dirty brown. Never found far from water, it is common in the swamps, and is the terror of the rice-field Negroes. The bite of the water moccasin is exceedingly venomous, and is considered more poisonous than that of the rattlesnake, which warns man of his approach by sounding his rattle.

The moccasin does not, like the rattlesnake, wait to be attacked, but assumes the offensive whenever opportunity offers, striking with its fangs at every animated object in its vicinity. All other species of snakes flee from its presence. It is found as far north as the Peedee River of South Carolina, and is abundant in all low districts of the southern states. As the Suwanee had overflowed its banks below Old Town Hammock, the snakes had taken to the low limbs of the trees and to the tops of bushes, where they seemed to be sleeping in the warmth of the bright sunlight; but as I glided along the shore a few feet from their aerial beds, they discovered my presence, and dropped sluggishly into the water. It would not be an exaggeration to say that we passed thousands of these dangerous reptiles while descending the Suwanee. Raftsmen told me that when traversing lagoons in their log canoes, if a moccasin is met some distance from land he will frequently enter the canoe for refuge or for rest, and instances have been known where the occupant has been so alarmed as to jump overboard and swim ashore in order to escape from this malignant reptile.

Maria Theresa specifications

length: 14 ft

beam: 28 ft 8 in.

amidships depth: 9 in.

bow height: 23 in.

stern height: 21 in.

weight: 58 lbs.

The canoe’s paper skin was about one eighth of an inch thick. The craft was fitted with a pair of removable steel outriggers, two seven foot spruce oars and a double paddle of similar length. The mast and sail—which proved useless and were soon discarded—weighed six pounds.

Bishop provides other details:

“When I took on board at Philadelphia the canvas deck-cover and the rubber strap which secured it in position, and the outfit—the cushion, sponge, provision-basket, and a fifteen-pound case of charts—I found that, with my own weight included (130 lbs.), the boat and her cargo, all told, provisioned for a long cruise, fell considerably short of the weight of three Saratoga trunks containing a very modest wardrobe for a lady’s four weeks’ visit at a fashionable watering-place.”

“She’s the dog-gonedest thing I ever seed, and jist as putty as a new coffin!”  – A river raftsman admiring the Maria Teresa’s beautiful finish.

An0ther to travel far by paddle was the amazing American paddler, Verlen Kruger….according to Wikipedia: Verlen Kruger:

Verlen Kruger (June 30, 1922 – August 2, 2004) was a canoe enthusiast who paddled over 100,000 km (62,000 mi) in his lifetime according to the Guiness Book of World Records, all the more remarkable because he did not start until age 41. Of particular note are the 29,341 km (18,232 mi) Two Continent Canoe Expedition and the 45,130 km (28,040 mi) Ultimate Canoe Challenge, the longest canoe journey ever.

Verlen Kruger.com has more information….including a wonderful book  All Things are Possible, The Verlen Kruger Story: 100,000 Miles By Paddle by Phil Peterson….as well as maps of Verlen’s incredible journeys:

Cross Continent Canoe Safari (CCCS) 1971  

The CCCS was Verlen’s first major paddling trip. Following a route sometimes called the Fur Trade Route, he and CLint Waddell paddled a tandem canoe from Montreal to the Bering Sea. No one had ever managed this 8,000-mile trip in less than a year due to annual freeze-ups along the route, but Verlen and Clint made it in 176 days. Instead of waiting for the ice to break up in Montreal, they portaged their canoe and gear 40 miles miles to reach open water.

Ultimate Canoe Challenge (UCC) 1980-1983  

Verlen and Steve Landick’s UCC was five years in the planning. They began their monumental trip in Red Rock, Montana and ended it 3-1/2 years later in Lansing, Michigan. Over the course of their 28,000-mile-plus trip, they paddled through or along the borders of most of the states. The UCC included two especially impressive stretches: upstream on the entire Mississippi River and upstream on the Colorado River all of the way through the Grand Canyon.

Two Continent Canoe Expedition (TCCE) 1986-1989   

Verlen and his partner, Valerie Fons, began the TCCE in Inuvik, Northwest Territories in Canada and rounded Cape Horn about 2 1/2 years later. This 21,000-mile trip included open-ocean stretches, during which Verlen and Valerie were out of sight of land for a day or more. Verlen and Valerie encountered severe flooding in many parts of South America and frequently slept in their canoes instead of making a camp.

Mississippi Challenges 1984, 2001, 2003  

In addition to the upstream paddle that he and Steve made during the UCC, Verlen also paddled down the Mississippi’s entire length. The first trip was the Eddie Bauer Challenge in 1984 with Valerie Fons, for which they earned a Guinness World Record. Verlen’s next trip downstream was in 2001, when he and Bob Bradford were the paddlers for the Team Kruger in the Great Mississippi River Race for Rett Syndrome. In 2003 Verlen did not paddle, but instead was Race Director and part of Team Hope’s shore crew.

 

And the amazing thing is that Verlen Kruger didn’t start until he was 41….so there’s still hope for me LOL LOL.

On Canadian Canoe Routes Forum: Paddle Across Canada, a query was posted about paddling solo across Canada from east of the Rockies to the Atlantic…..one of the replies was this:

It’s a great idea, and it sounds like you’ve already made the biggest decisions: which direction to go, and whether or not to cross the Rockies. West to East is the much quicker direction. It saves you paddling up one of the long, fast rivers that flow down from the Rockies.  So now you just have to pick which one of these rivers you want to cruise down. The 3 obvious candidates are (in order of route “easiness”, with the quickest first):

1. North Saskatchewan River Start at Rocky Mountain House (or right at the base of the Rockies at Saskatchewan River Crossing in Banff National Park)
2. Athabasca River Start at Jasper, paddle to Fort McMurray, turn up the Clearwater, over the Methye Portage, down the Churchill River to the Frog Portage, then down the Sturgeon Weir River to meet the Saskatchewan at Cumberland House. Be warned, though: between Jasper and Fort Mc, the Athabasca River has some large rapids on it.
3. Peace River Start at Summit Lake/Giscome Portage, follow Crooked/Pack River down to Williston Lake, then down Peace River to Lake Athabasca, up Athabasca River to Fort McMurray, then as per route 2. You could maybe even start at the logging road bridge over the Parsnip River and paddle the short distance to the watershed between Arctic Lake and Portage Lake before flying down the Peace River.

All 3 rivers have fairly fast currents so paddling downstream will be quick.

In terms of time, and best months…basically this will take all the paddling season available. Start as soon after ice break-up as you can bare. Since you’ll probably be starting on one of the big rivers, break-up will be earlier than if you started on a lake (the rivers open-up quicker than the lakes). Late April might be as ambitious as you could really expect to be. You’re likely to make Montreal or Quebec City sometime between late September and November.

Your proposition is very ambitious, but don’t let other people put you off. You can certainly do it if you have the determination. I’d strongly recommend the North Saskatchewan route to maximise your chances of success. It’s by far the easiest. Both the Athabasca and Peace rivers are in the Arctic watershed, which means extra upstream work and portaging. The entire North Saskatchewan route from RMH (Rocky Mountain House) to Montreal has only one short stretch of real upstream paddling: the Rainy River (only 130km or so). The other sections which on paper look upstream have very little current. The French River, the Winnipeg River (thanks to some dams) and Quetico’s miscellaneous rivers are of the “pool and drop” variety typical of the shield. It just means a few extra portages around rapids you might have run going the other way. 

In the same response was added information on other such expeditions:

In 2004, Joe O’Blenis attempted to cross from near Kittimat BC to Nova Scotia. This was essentially the Peace River route with the addition of a monster portage up the mountains in BC plus a run down the Nachako and a trip up a short part of the Fraser. He burned out at La Loche (after the Methye Portage) with a stomach bug. Having a few bits of gear stolen just finished him off (though he did get the stuff back). He ended up skipping the Churchill, Sturgeon Weir, Lake Winnipeg, Winnipeg River, Rainy River, Boundary Waters and restarted on Lake Superior. 

Max Finkelstein did the first year of his 3 year trip solo. He paddled from Ottawa to Cumberland House in only 3 months. Under the pressure of a tight schedule, he too almost burned out, skipping Lake Winnipeg. For his next 2 seasons, he chose to maximise his travel with the current, and he travelled with other people as much as he could arrange.

In 2004, Jean-Philippe Bellefeuille took the Athabasca route, starting in Jasper. He was more flexible, philosophical even, in his approach. Beaten by the opposing current, he had no qualms about taking a jet boat up much of the Clearwater River. He skipped Lake Winnipeg and the Rainy River. Some may consider these “cheats”, but remember, it’s your trip: you can do what you like, and you can make the rules. But these compromises meant that he made his trip sustainable and he made it home. He didn’t burn out.

As solo cross-Canada canoe trips go, the greatest achievment I am aware of is that of Chris Taggart. In the same year as Max Finkelstein, he started from Montreal, paddled his Old Town Penobscot (yup, didn’t even have a fancy light-weight boat) all the way across to and up the Churchill, and then (and this is the really admirable bit) made it all the way up the Peace River and over the Rocky Mountains watershed following Alexander Mackenzie’s challenging Parsnip River/James Creek route only to be frozen in the MacGregor River canyon. All in one season! He too burned out. Ric Dreideger of Churchill River Canoe Outfitters tells the story of watching this emaciated stick-man paddling into Missinippi on the Churchill. Chris had been feeding himself on only Kraft Dinners. Nonetheless, after a revitalising feed-up his single-minded obsession to continue drove him onwards. He was a little crazy, but there’s nothing like turning a weakness into a strength!

Ilya Klvana paddled from Prince Rupert to the east coast solo in a year (in a kayak) but other than that, I don’t know much about him. Still, west to east is definitely the way to go for speed.

As noted, Canada has had its share of long distance paddlers….Gary and Joanie McGuffin definitely should be included in this lot….they literally began their long distance canoe journey while on their honeymoon….a great online article, Paddler Magazine: The World’s Top Canoe Expeditions – From Voyageurs to Modern-Day Record Setters lists some of their achievements:

The Honeymoon Excursion (Gary and Joanie McGuffin)

Imagine two years of paddling from the Atlantic to the Arctic Ocean, starting from the St. Lawrence Seaway where the river is 50 miles wide. Now imagine two weeks of Hell dealing with huge sea swells, tidal bores and powerful rip currents that whip your tiny canoe between the shore and the middle of the river. Imagine cold sleeting rain and heavy winds. Now imagine this is your honeymoon, which is exactly what it was for Gary and Joanie McGuffin, possibly Canada’s most celebrated paddling couple.

When they first started out, the McGuffins had not expected such trouble from the St. Lawrence River. The north shore of Lake Superior was the place they feared most, yet when they arrived they found the lake in the grip of a long calm spell. The same cannot be said for Lake Winnipeg, which has an average depth of only 12 feet and was a huge frothing mud puddle with waves up to 12 feet high. At one point they were wind-bound for three days, and when the wind finally dropped, they paddled for 30 hours straight to get off the lake.

As they reached the end of their first summer in central Manitoba, the McGuffins were lost in a maze of marshes on the lower Saskatchewan. They found their way out by following flocks of white pelicans feeding in tiny riffles of current. After wintering in The Pas, Manitoba, the McGuffins continued north along the Churchill, but rather than portaging over the height of land into the Clearwater, they paddled up the Reindeer River into Reindeer Lake and then spent 40 miles paddling and portaging over the height of land into Wollaston Lake. From there it was downhill all the way into Great Slave Lake and the Mackenzie River. They struggled against monstrous waves as the Arctic winter closed in on them, and at the mouth of the Mackenzie they were greeted by snow and heavy winds blowing off the icecap. Four days after they were finished, the icecap sealed itself against the Mackenzie’s mouth.

Superior Journeys (Gary and Joanie McGuffin)

Few lakes inspire as much awe, respect and even terror as Lake Superior. The largest freshwater lake in the world is deep, cold and prone to huge storms that whip it into thundering fury. In addition, warm winds passing across the water’s surface create isolated fog patches, making it easy to get disoriented while navigating through large swells and currents, even with a compass and detailed charts. Stories abound of Voyageurs who lost their bearings paddling from point to point in the fog, and ended up capsizing in monstrous swells in the middle of the lake.

But the McGuffins were hooked. In 1989 they tackled a circumnavigation of the lake using two of Verlen Kruger’s Monarch canoes. It was a 2,000-mile sojourn that took them 80 days to complete, the first time the trip was completed in modern times. Along the way they experienced 15-foot waves, bone-chilling winds and fog patches which threatened to swallow them up. At one point while taking pictures from under a tree well away from the crashing rollers a wave steamrolled up the beach until it had buried them to their waists in foam. The McGuffins also saw spray from Superior’s waves whip the tops of 80-foot trees along shore.

Ancient Forest Odyssey (Gary and Joanie McGuffin)

In the summer of 1997 the McGuffins completed a 1,200-mile canoe odyssey through Northern Ontario, linking the last pockets of old-growth forest from Algonquin Park to Lake Superior. To raise awareness for the endangered forests they carried a laptop computer, a 32-pound satellite phone, solar panels, digital camera equipment and a 100-pound communication box. The McGuffins spent more than three months looking for old portage trails. At times it was like “bushwhacking with a canoe on their heads,” struggling along faint game trails littered with deadfall. Weighing just over 110 pounds, Joanie sometimes carried 100 pounds of gear as they fought their way through 12 previously unconnected watersheds. Because of the difficulty, on more than one occasion the couple was reduced to tears. They used the sat phone to do weekly radio interviews, and their laptop and digital camera allowed them to submit articles to 58 newspapers across Canada. A Web site was created, films were made, and a book is in the works for later this year.

Gary and Joanie McGuffin have written several books on these incredible expeditions….here are the titles so far:

 

Photos from Gary & Joanie McGuffin: Books

As already noted there was Max Finklestein who has paddled in the path of Alexander Mackenzie, across Canada in over three years. Finkelstein spent six months over three years following the land and water routes of Alexander Mackenzie across Canada to the Pacific Ocean, a journey he chronicled in a book titled Canoeing a Continent: On the Trail of Alexander Mackenzie.  As the description of his book, Amazon.ca: Canoeing a Continent: On the Trail of Alexander Mackenzie states:

A highly personal account of the travels of Max Finkelstein as he retraces, some two hundred years later, the route of Alexander Mackenzie, the first European to cross North America (1793). Mackenzie’s water trail is now commemorated as the Alexander Mackenzie Voyageur Route.

More than just a travelogue of a canoe trip across Canada, this is an account that crosses more than two centuries. It is an exploration into the heart and mind of Alexander Mackenzie, the explorer, and Max Finkelstein, the “Voyageur-in-Training.” Using Mackenzie’s journals and his own journal writings, the author creates a view of the land from two vantage points. The author retraced the route of Alexander Mackenzie across North America from Ottawa through to Cumberland House, Saskatchewan, and paddled the Blackwater, Fraser and Peace Rivers, completing the trip in 1999. This route is the most significant water trail in North America, and perhaps the world.

Photo from Amazon.ca: Canoeing a Continent: On the Trail of Alexander Mackenzie.

Max was also involved in another long distance trip that also resulted in another book….with James Stone he retraced the journey of Albert Paul Low, a 19th-century geologist and gifted mapmaker (and Max and James felt A.P. Low is among this country’s greatest explorers)….in the review of their book, Canada’s Iron Man: Retracing The Routes of Mapmaker and Explorer A.P. Low, on Ottertooth.com (Ottertooth.com: Canada’s Iron Man Retracing The Routes Of Mapmaker And Explorer A.P. Low), George E. Kampouris wrote:

They set out in early August, driving eight hours to Lake Mistassini. From there a floatplane ferried them to Lake Naococanne, another 300 kilometres north where they unloaded their 17-foot canoe and 150 kilograms of gear and supplies.

“Low would have taken weeks just to get to our starting point,” said Finkelstein of their inauthentic shortcut. “We didn’t have all summer.”

Ahead of them lay 1,000 kilometres of hard travel that would span five weeks, through 87 portages over rough ground, past abandoned trading posts in the middle of some of the most isolated country on Earth.

Max Finklestein and James Stone knew the 625 mile route from Naococanne Lake, near the geographic centre of Quebec, to the community of Waskaganish, where the Rupert River dumps its waters into James Bay would be tough – but not how tough. And they were wearing lightweight, fast-drying modern fabrics that were tougher than the wool and cotton garments worn by Low and his crews (Low reported that they were never dry and that the boots literally rotted off their feet). In the end, Max and James ran out of time, and had to be picked up 80 kilometres short of James Bay.

Jay Morrison was another cross-Canada paddler….originally he had planned to become the first person to paddle solo across Canada from the Atlantic to the Arctic Ocean in a single year, covering a distance of more than 8,000 kilometres starting in the ocean tides of the Gulf of St. Lawrence at Les Escoumins, Quebec, following the vast Boreal forest that stretches across much of northern Canada, and finishing where the Mackenzie River flows into the Beaufort Sea near Inuvik in the Northwest Territories….but as the CPAWS: Jay’s Great Canadian Canoe Quest points out:

To fulfill a long-held personal dream, and in support of CPAWS’ work to conserve Canada’s great Boreal wilderness, Jay Morrison paddled and portaged over 3,000 km across Canada between April 9th and August 1st 2006, along the historic trade routes established by the Aboriginal peoples and later used by European explorers and fur traders.

Jay’s amazing expedition started in the ocean tides of the Gulf of St. Lawrence at Les Escoumins, Quebec, and followed the vast Boreal forest that stretches across Quebec, Ontario and eastern Manitoba. In 2007 and 2008, he paddled another 5,000 km to the Arctic Ocean.

Jay’s Canoe

Jay’s canoe is an item of special interest in itself. After Jay built it himself, the canoe was decorated by artist Dot Bonnenfant with images of creatures symbolic of both Aboriginal culture and of the Canadian landscape. Jay has built several canoes in cedar and other wood materials, creating innovations that permit lighter weight with sufficient strength for wilderness tripping. For this trip, he has designed a unique wood and epoxy canoe inspired by the decked Verlen Kruger canoes intended for extreme big water expeditions, although lightened to allow single-carry portaging of the boat and gear over the Canadian Shield. At 16.5 feet in length and only 28 inches wide, this boat is built for both speed and seaworthiness. It weighs just 36 pounds.

The canoe is named in both the Algonquin and Ojibway languages: “Kida-Aakiinan” and “Daki Menan”, respectively which mean “Our Land” in the inclusive sense of being shared by all of the humans and creatures in it. This name honours the traditional values of the Aboriginal people which include decision-making for the long term (seven generations) and the taking only of resources from the land that can be sustained, values that much of modern society has yet to appreciate but will become increasingly important in the future.

Jay’s trip was written up in CBC News: Retired Bureaucrat Completes Canoe Odyssey: 7,000 Km, 150 Days:

Retired bureaucrat completes canoe odyssey: 7,000 km, 150 days

The Canadian Press

An Ottawa man has fulfilled a boyhood dream of a cross-Canada canoe trip, completing the final leg in northern Manitoba after paddling more than 7,000 kilometres over 150 days.

Jay Morrison paddles his self-built wood canoe on the Ottawa River, below Parliament Hill, in April 2006. The retired civil servant recently completed his cross-Canada canoe trip in The Pas. (Fred Chartrand/Canadian Press)

Jay Morrison, 58, a retired federal civil servant, stepped out of his canoe in The Pas on the weekend.

Morrison estimates he made four million paddle strokes on the journey.

He started his journey in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in April 2006 with the dream of criss-crossing the country through its lakes and rivers all the way to the Arctic Ocean. But four months later, he abandoned his trip in Manitoba after paddling through punishing headwinds and fog on Lake Superior.

In May 2007, Morrison resumed the trip in his canoe, which he built himself.

According to his online journal, he started on Lake La Loche in northern Saskatchewan, paddling north through Fort McMurray, Alta., and up the waters into the Northwest Territories.

By mid-July, he had made it to Inuvik at the edge of the Mackenzie Delta.

He then sent his canoe by truck and flew back to Alberta, where he continued paddling east into Manitoba, arriving in The Pas on Aug. 18.

From Heritage Paddles: Sample Designs, taken by Jay Morrison. (NOTE: The artisan, Dot Bonnenfant described the photo as:  “My friend Jay Morrison paddled Alexander MacKenzie’s route – paddling across Canada. 8,000 kms - He built his own boat.Named Daki Menan (meaning ‘Our Land’), this canoe is one tough boat!!! Jay requested a design with specific animals to have their spirits accompany him on his voyage. Here’s his canoe, pre-trip, on his living room floor.”)

Another famous Canadian long distance paddler was Pierre Trudeau….in 1944 he wrote an essay called Exhaustion and Fulfillment: The Ascetic In A Canoe, found at Trudeau: PM, Patriot, Paddler….this essay came from a trip Trudeau took in 1941 with three others from Montreal to James Bay, up the Ottawa River, over the elevated land mass, and down the Harricanaw River. This trip crystallized his thoughts in many ways. As Trudeau wrote three years later:

A canoeing expedition….involves a starting point rather than a parting. Although it assumes the breaking of ties, its purpose is not to destroy the past, but to lay down a foundation for the future. From now on, every living act will be built on this step, which will serve as a base long after the return of the expedition….and until the next one.

There have been many long distance trips which didn’t end up very successfully….sometimes even ending in death….one such was a expedition planned by John Smith, from Peterborough, Ontario to Peterborough, England….across the Atlantic Ocean….solo….in a 16 foot Peterborough canoe….here are two capsules of this largely unknown attempted canoe journey:

From Peterborough History And Culture:

1934 – John Smith’s famous attempt to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a 16 foot Peterborough Canoe (“Pride of Peterborough”) begins and ends in his death in the Gulf of St Lawrence.

From Peterborough Museum & Archives Canoe and Boat Collections:

PG6A-35 / “Pride of Peterborough” A postcard showing John Smith sitting in his 16 foot Peterborough Canoe, christened, “Pride of Peterborough (1934). Smith attempted to paddle from Peterborough, Ontario to Peterborough, England in the summer of 1934. He perished after his sailing canoe was swamped in rough waters in the Gulf of St Lawrence.

This incredible story was written up by James Raffan in Canoeroots: Alone Across The Atlantic (Tumblehome: James Raffan, P. 16)….check out this amazing tale for yourself.

From Canoeroots: Alone Across The Atlantic (Tumblehome: James Raffan, P. 16).

The great online article, already mentioned, Paddler Magazine: The World’s Top Canoe Expeditions – From Voyageurs to Modern-Day Record Setters, which has such individuals listed as Samuel de Champlain, Alexander Mackenzie, Lewis & Clark, Simon Fraser, David Thompson, Verlen Kruger, the McGuffins, and many others, is worth checking out for more on the subject of long distance paddling. There is a brief capsule history of each of these canoe expeditions.

One of the paddlers mentioned was a Scot by the name or John MacGregor, who was probably the first to take long ‘recreational’ canoe trips:

John MacGregor: the Rob Roy 

Credit for turning canoeing from work to play can largely be handed to John MacGregor, yet another exuberant Scot with a magnetic attraction for publicity. During a trip through Canada in 1859, he paddled several canoes on the Ottawa River and immediately fell in love with the sport. Traveling onto Kamchatka he was soon introduced to northern kayaks, and when he returned to England he set to the task of building a canoe of European technology and Inuit design. His intention was to create a hybrid craft that was stable, durable and comfortable for long-distance tripping. 

In 1865 his canoe was finished, and he christened the covered oak boat the Rob Roy. With ample space below deck for supplies and religious tracts, he set off for a three-month paddling tour around France, Germany and Switzerland, which took him to more than 20 lakes and rivers, covering over 1,000 miles. The following year he published a book about his exploits A Thousand Miles in the Rob Roy Canoe which was quickly snatched off bookshelves on both sides of the Atlantic. His enthusiasm was contagious, and soon canoe clubs were spawned across North America and Europe, including the Royal Canoe Club, which was headed by the Prince of Wales a coup for MacGregor s mission. Gentlemen adventurers of the late 1800s turned from paddling around the European continent to grand explorations in the Canadian Northwest.

But one of the stories I was not aware of was the British duo of Neil Armstrong and Chris Macguire, who literally went on the longest canoe trip:

Expedition Britanica (Neil Armstrong and Chris Maguire)

Neil Armstrong and Chris Maguire say there’s no better way to beat a world canoeing record than to set off on a nearly impossible route with no planning or experience. Paddling out of Medicine Hat, Alberta, in an old Clipper Tripper in July 1993, these two Brits were supposed to be on vacation for three months. Little did they know they would spend three years retracing Don Starkell’s “suicidal route” to the mouth of the Amazon River.

Once on the Mississippi River their trip gained significant momentum, aided by the gallons of American beer they consumed along the way. They often stopped early to drink and tell tales until the bars closed, which meant sleeping in late the next morning. As a result, the two men nearly froze into the Mississippi during ice up. In Mexico the weather warmed, but the pair soon ran out of money. To finance the rest of their trip they learned how to make hats from palm fronds. On more than one occasion they also ran into would-be thieves. While camped in Nicaragua they were mistaken for drug smugglers and were fired on. They crawled for several hours through a mangrove swamp in the darkness before they managed to shinny down to the beach. Once in the water they let the current drag them out, and for the next two hours they drifted through the surf. It wasn’t until the next day that they managed to find their belongings in a small native village. They told the chief their story, after which he proclaimed everything a big misunderstanding. Still, he insisted the Brits pay for the gasoline, flashlight batteries and bullets that were used while pursuing them the previous night.

To avoid Colombia the pair opted to portage their canoe for 75 miles across the desert on the Guajira Peninsula, eliminating 210 miles of coastal paddling. Even with a modified boat trailer to help pull their gear, they suffered from heat exhaustion. The worst behind them, they arrived at Belem, Brazil in August of 1996. They had paddled more than 13,000 miles, breaking Starkell’s canoe record.

There will be future long distance canoe trips attempted….hopefully most will be completed safely….though some will fail, maybe even in death….yet surely records may fall….for as long as there are places to paddle….to put a canoe in the water….someone will think of dipping a paddle and setting off on a long distance journey….in 2011 there was the Trans CanEAUda Project, which I have posted about here before. Trans CanEAUda is a cross Canada canoe expedition and project being undertaken by 8 friends throughout the spring, summer, and fall months of 2011. They departed from Ottawa, ON, during the first week of May 2011, pointing their canoes in a north-westerly direction, paddling and portaging some 7000 kilometers in an attempt to  reach Inuvik, NWT, and the waters of the Beaufort Sea. (NOTE: See Trans CanEAUda Project for more.)

Paddles up until later then….and maybe you’ll decide to take your own long distance trip….though any distance is good….just being out on the water is great….so have paddle, will travel….whether for a few days….or for several months.

Some Thoughts On Man’s Role In Nature

I thought I would share the following words on man’s role in the natural world….our place in the scheme of things in Mother Nature:

We need wilderness whether or not we ever set foot in it. We need a refuge even though we may never need to go there…. We need the possibility of escape as surely as we need hope. – Edward Abbey

The love of wilderness is more than a hunger for what is always beyond reach; it is also an expression of loyalty to the earth … the only home we shall ever know, the only paradise we ever need — if only we had the eyes to see. — Edward Abbey (controversial American writer and naturalist)

A civilization which destroys what little remains of the wild, the spare, the original, is cutting itself off from its origins and betraying the principle of civilization itself. — Edward Abbey (controversial American writer and naturalist)

The earth, like the sun, like the air, belongs to everyone — and to no one. — Edward Abbey (controversial American writer and naturalist)

A land not mine, still forever memorable, the watchers of its ocean chill and fresh.

Sand on the bottom whiter than chalk, and the air drunk, like wine, late sun lays bare the rosy limbs of the pine trees.

Sunset in the ethereal waves: I cannot tell if the day is ending, or the world, or if the secrets of secrets is inside me again. — Ann Akmatova (Russian poet)

Humanity is cutting down its forests, apparently oblivious to the fact that we may not be able to live without them. — Isaac Asimov (Russian-American science fiction writer, essayist, and biochemist)

Man is not himself only… He is all that he sees; all that flows to him from a thousand sources… He is the land, the lift of its mountain lines, the reach of its valleys. — Mary Austin (Inyo writer)

No beast has ever conquered the earth; and the natural world has never been conquered by muscular force. — Liberty Hyde Baily

No site in the forest is without significance, not a glade, not a thicket that does not provide analogies to the labyrinth of human thoughts. Who among those people with a cultivated spirit, or whose heart has been wounded, can walk in a forest without the forest speaking to him?… If one searched for the causes of that sensation, at once solemn, simple, gentle, mysterious, that seizes one, perhaps it would be found in the sublime and ingenious spectacle of all the creatures obeying their destinies, immutably docile. — Honore de Balzac (French realist writer)

Nature includes all of the universe and man is not only a part of nature, he is in it up to his neck. – N.J. Berrill (science writer)

The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world that it leaves to its children. — Dietrich Bonhoeffer (German theologian)

There are no idealists in the plant world and no compassion. The rose and the morning glory know no mercy. Bindweed, the morning glory, will quickly choke its competitors to death, and the fencerow rose will just as quietly crowd out any other plant that tried to share its roothold. Idealism and mercy are human terms and human concepts. — Hal Borland (American writer)

A root, a stem, a leaf, some means of capturing sunlight and air and making food — in some, a plant. The green substance of the earth, the chlorophyll, is all summed up in the plants. Without them we perish, all of us who are flesh and blood. — Hal Borland (American writer)

If we are to have broad-thinking men and women of high mentality, of good physique and with a true perspective on life, we must allow our populace a communion with nature in areas of more or less wilderness condition. — Arthur Carhart (U.S. Forest Service official and pioneer in wilderness preservation movement)

I held a blue flower in my hand, probably a wild aster, wondering what its name was, and then thought that human names for natural things are superfluous. Nature herself does not name them. The important thing is to know this flower, look at its color until the blends becomes as real as a keynote of music. Look at the exquisite yellow flowerettes at the center, become very small with them. Be the flower, be the trees, the blowing grasses. Fly with the birds, jump with a squirrel! — Sally Carrighar (American nature writer), from Home to the Wilderness

Never a day passes but that I do myself the honor to commune with some of nature’s varied forms. — George Washington Carver (African-American botanist, invented hundreds of uses for the peanut)

The great purpose is to set aside a reasonable part of the vanishing wilderness, to make certain that generations of Americans yet unborn will know what it is to experience life on undeveloped, unoccupied land in the same form and character as the Creator fashioned it… It is a great spiritual experience. I never knew a man who took a bedroll into an Idaho mountainside and slept there under a star-studded summer sky who felt self-important that next morning. Unless we preserve some opportunity for future generations to have the same experience, we shall have dishonored our trust. – Frank Church (Democratic Idaho Senator, 1957-1981))

Believe one who knows; you will find something greater in woods than in books. Trees and stones will teach you that which you can never learn from masters. — St. Bernard de Clairvaux (French abbott and primary builder of the Cistercian monastic order)

And what joy, think ye, did they feel after the exceedingly long and troublous ascent?- after scrambling, pulling, pushing lifting, gasping, looking, hoping, despairing, climbing, holding on, falling off, trying, puffing, loosing, gathering, talking, stepping, grumbling, anathematising, scraping, hacking, bumping, jogging, overturning, hunting, straddling, – for know ye that by these methods alone are the most divine mysteries of the Quest revealed? – Prof. Norman Collie, Scottish Mountaineering Journal, 1894

Men go back to the mountains, as they go back to sailing ships at sea, because in the mountains and on the sea they must face up, as did men of another age, to the challenge of nature. Modern man lives in a highly synthetic kind of existence. He specializes in this and that. Rarely does he test all his powers or find himself whole. But in the hills and on the water the character of a man comes out. — Abram T. Collier

Man is whole when he is in tune with the winds, the stars, and the hills… Being in tune with the universe is the entire secrets. — William O. Douglas (U.S. Supreme Court Justice)

….. to be whole and harmonious, man must also know the music of the beaches and the woods. He must find the thing of which he is only an infinitesimal part and nurture it and love it, if he is to live. — William O. Douglas (U.S. Supreme Court Justice), 1960

Is not the sky a father and the earth a mother, and are not all living things with feet or wings or roots their children? — Black Elk (Medicine man of the Lakota (Sioux)

Give me the strength to walk the soft earth, a relative to all that is! — Black Elk (Medicine man of the Lakota (Sioux)

Then I was standing on the highest mountain of them all, and round about beheath me was the whole hoop of the world. And while I stood there I saw more than I can tell and I understood more than I saw; for I was seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of all things in the spirit, and the shape of all shapes as they must live together like one being. And I saw the sacred hoop of my people was one of the many hoops that made one circle, wide as daylight and as starlight, and in the center grew one mighty flowering tree to shelter all the children of one mother and one father. And I saw that it was holy… — Black Elk (Medicine man of the Lakota (Sioux)

In the woods, too, a man casts off his years, as the snake his slough, and at what period soever of life is always a child. — Ralph Waldo Emerson (American writer and philosopher and co-founder of Transcendental Club)

It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinions; it is easy in solitude to live after your own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude. – Ralph Waldo Emerson (American writer and philosopher and co-founder of Transcendental Club)

To the dull mind nature is leaden. To the illumined mind the whole world burns and sparkles with light. – Ralph Waldo Emerson (American writer and philosopher and co-founder of Transcendental Club)

The greatest wonder is that we can see these trees and not wonder more. — Ralph Waldo Emerson (American writer and philosopher and co-founder of Transcendental Club), from a conversation with John Muir

At the gates of the forest, the surprised man of the world is forced to leave his city estimates of great and small, wise and foolish. The knapsack of custom falls off his back. — Ralph Waldo Emerson (American writer and philosopher and co-founder of Transcendental Club)

No land is bad, but land is worse. If a man owns land, the land owns him. Now let him leave home, if he dare. — Ralph Waldo Emerson (American writer and philosopher and co-founder of Transcendental Club)

Miller owns this field, Locke that, and Manning the woodland beyond. But none of them owns the landscape. There is a property in the horizon which no man has but he whose eye can integrate all the parts, that is, the poet. This is the best part of these men’s farms, yet to this their warranty-deeds have no title. — Ralph Waldo Emerson (American writer and philosopher and co-founder of Transcendental Club)

Plants are the young of the world. Vessels of health and vigor; but they grope ever upward towards consciousness; the trees are imperfect man, and seem to bemoan their imprisonment, rooted in the ground. — Ralph Waldo Emerson (American writer and philosopher and co-founder of Transcendental Club)

The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God…I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles. — Anne Frank (diarist and Holocaust victim)

The survival of the human species is inescapably linked with the survival of all other forms of life. – Michael Frome (American outdoor and environmental writer)

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step and trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a woods, and I – I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. – Robert Frost (American poet), The Road Not Taken

Acceptance is the art of making the obstacle the path. Therefore, embrace the enemy. This is the lesson of the river guide: face the danger, move toward it, that’s where the current is the strongest, and it will carry you around the obstacle. Use it. — China Galland (author of The Bond Between Women and Women in the Wilderness)

And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. — Kahlil Gibran (Lebanese-American artist, poet and writer)

Remember, you belong to Nature, not it to you. – Archibald Belaney, aka Grey Owl

Human beings, as a whole, deny to animals any credit for the power of thought, preferring not to hear about it and ascribing everything they do to instinct. Yet most species of animals can reason, and all men have instinct. Man is the highest of living creatures, but it does not follow a corollary that Nature belongs to him, as he so fondly imagines. He belongs to it. That he should take his share of the gifts she has so bountifully provided for her children, is only right and proper; but he cannot reasonably deny the other creatures a certain portion. They have to live too. – Grey Owl, Tales Of An Empty Cabin, pp. 325-26

There are many who walk through the woods like blind men. – Grey Owl, Tolerance

There is a great deal of talk these days about saving the environment. We must, for the environment sustains our bodies. But as humans we also require support for our spirits, and this is what certain kinds of places provide. The catalyst that converts any physical location — any environment if you will — into a place, is the process of experiencing deeply. A place is the piece of the whole environment that has been claimed by feelings. Viewed simply as a life-support system, the earth is an environment. Viewed as a resource that sustains our humanity, the earth is a collection of places. We never speak, for example, of an environment we have known; it is always places we have known — and recall. We are homesick for places, we are reminded of places, it is the sounds and smells and sights of places which haunt us and against which we often measure our present. — Alan Gussow (American artist, gardener and president of Friends of the Earth Foundation), from A Sense of Place

So rests the sky against the earth. The dark still tarn in the lap of the forest. As a husband embraces his wife’s body in faithful tenderness, so the bare ground and trees are embraced by this still, high, light of the morning.

I feel an ache of longing to share in this embrace, to be united and absorbed. A longing like carnal desire, but directed towards earth, water, sky, and returned by the whispers of the trees, the fragrance of the soil, the caresses of the wind, the embrace of water and light. Content? No, no, no — but refreshed, rested — while waiting. — Dag Hammarskjold (Swedish diplomat and second Secretary-General of the United Nations, winner of the 1961 Nobel Peace Prize)

Clambering up the Cold Mountain path, The Cold Mountain trail goes on and on: The long gorge choked with the scree and boulders, The wide creek, the midst-blurred grass. The moss is slippery, though there’s been no rain The pine sings, but there’s no wind. Who can lead the world’s ties And sit with me among the white clouds? – Han-shan (Mythological figure of 8th or 9th century Chinese Taoist/Zen poetry)

I have come to terms with the future. From this day onward I will walk easy on the earth. Plant trees. Kill no living things. Live in harmony with all creatures. I will restore the earth where I am. Use no more of its resources than I need. And listen, listen to what it is telling me. — M.J. Slim Hooey

We love quiet; we suffer the mouse to play; when the woods are rustled by the wind, we fear not. – Indian Chief, 1796, to the governor of Pennsylvania

In nature there are neither rewards nor punishments – there are consequences. – R. G. Ingersoll

Her mighty lakes, like oceans of liquid silver; her mountains with their right aerial tints; her valleys, teeming with wild fertility; her tremendous cataracts, thundering in their solitudes; her boundless plains, waving with spontaneous verdure; her brought deep rivers, rolling in solemn silence to the ocean; her trackless forests, where vegetation puts forth all its magnificence; her skies, kindling waves in the magic of the summer clouds and glorious sunshine; — no, never need an American look beyond his own country for the sublime and beautiful of natural scenery. – Washington Irving (American author famous for Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow)

We must not only protect the country side and save it from destruction, we must resort what has been destroyed and salvage the beauty and charm of our cities… Once our natural splendor is destroyed, it can never be recaptured. And once man can no longer walk with beauty or wonder at nature, his spirit will wither and his sustenance be wasted. — Lyndon B. Johnson (36th President of the United States)

Never does nature say one thing and wisdom another. – Juvenal, Satires

What a joy it is to feel the soft, springy earth under my feet once more, to follow grassy roads that lead to ferny brooks where I can bathe my fingers in a cataract of rippling notes, or to clamber over a stone wall into green fields that tumble and roll and climb in riotous gladness! — Helen Keller, from The Story of My Life

No man should go through life without once experiencing healthy, even bored solitude in the wilderness, finding himself depending solely on himself and thereby learning his true and hidden strength. - Jack Kerouac

My heart is tuned to the quietness that the stillness of nature inspires. — Hazrat Inayat Khan (Indian Sufi teacher and founder of the Sufi Order in the West, now the Sufi Order International)

The wilderness and the idea of wilderness is one of the permanent homes of the human spirit. – Joseph Wood Krutch (American writer, critic, and naturalist), 1958, from Today and All Its Yesterdays

The trail is the thing, not the end of the trail.  Travel too fast and you miss all you are traveling for. - Louis L’Amour

On a clear winter morning, just as the sun rises high enough for its slanting rays to shine horizontally through the trees, disclosing each branch and needle, backlit and rimmed with fire, each intricate facets of the snow crystals distinct and glittering, each contour and dip of the land plainly outlined by the conforming snow, I lay my track through the snow — a silent listener awaiting Being. And Being responds. I move so silently and swiftly that deer, rabbits, and weasels are surprised and caught him in their inner lives; so swiftly and silently they do not flee but stand out in their beings. Each tree-being, aspen and fir, lit from within, stands out. The shape of the land is shone forth more clearly than in the summer, when its contours are masked and hidden by vegetation. The earth more present, the sky more present, by, the human, more present in total awareness… — Dolores LaChapelle (American mountaineer, skier and leader in the deep ecology movement)

Man always kills the things he loves, and so we the pioneers have killed our wilderness. Some say we had to. Be that as it may, I am glad I shall never be young without wild country to be young in. Of what avail are forty freedoms without a blank spot on the map? — Aldo Leopold (American ecologist, forester, and environmentalist, considered to be father of American wildlife management)

Our ability to perceive quality in nature begins, as in part, with the pretty. It expands through successive stages of the beautiful to values as yet uncaptured by language. The quality of cranes lies, I think, in this higher gamut, as yet beyond the reach of words. — Aldo Leopold (American ecologist, forester, and environmentalist, considered to be father of American wildlife management)

The land, the earth God gave to man for his home…should never be the possession of any man, corporation, (or) society…any more than the air or water. — Abraham Lincoln (16th President of the United States)

In wilderness I sense the miracle of life, and behind it our scientific accomplishments fade to trivia. — Charles A. Lindbergh (American aviator, flew first solo non-stop flight across the Atlantic in 1927), December 22, 1967, from Life

Our ideals, laws and customs should be based on the proposition that each generation, in turn, becomes the custodian rather than the absolute owner of our resources and each generation has the obligation to pass this inheritance on to the future. — Charles A. Lindbergh (American aviator, flew first solo non-stop flight across the Atlantic in 1927), May 23, 1971, from New York Times Magazine

Park and open-space efforts can be described as an institutional reflection of the principal means by which urban man has historically engaged in the Edenic search. He has, since the beginnings of civilization, sought gardeners in his cities, a pastoral landscape outside of his cities, and wilderness for retreat away from his cities. Baghdad boasts a thousand gardens; Alexander set aside one quarter of his North African city as a park;…wilderness served as retreat for Jesus of Nazareth, as it did later for the Waldenisians and the Franciscans; and mediation in the wilderness is a common theme in Far Eastern cultures. Thus, there is good evidence that a prosperity for greenery as a substitute Eden in urban civilizations is not a particularity of any single race, religion, or national culture. — Charles E. Little (American author of The Dying of the Trees)

I have learned a lot from trees; Sometimes about the weather, Sometimes about animals, Sometimes about the Great Spirits. — Tatanga Mani “Walking Buffalo” (Chief of the Nakoda, medicine man, naturalist, and peace advocate)

For me and for thousands with similar inclinations, the most important passion of life is the overpowering desire to escape periodically from the clutches of a mechanistic civilization. To us the enjoyment of solitude, complete independence, and the beauty of undefiled panoramas is absolutely essential to happiness. — Bob Marshall (co-founder of the Wilderness Society)

The machine called Nature into an art form. For the first time at men began to regard Nature as a source of aesthetic and spiritual values. — Marshal McLuhan (Canadian philosopher and intellectual known for coining the phrases “the medium is the message” and “global village”)

I’d rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth. — Steve McQueen (movie actor)

The universe has been quite literally writing upon humans for many thousands of years, and our alphabets are among the traits that nature has carved in order to cross our minds. Wild lands have caught deeper trails in my life than I will ever be able to make in the forest. — Joe Meeker (American human ecolgist, host of the 1980′s NPR show Minding the Earth)

What a thing it is to sit absolutely alone, in the forests, at night, cherished by this wonderful, unintelligible, perfectly innocent speech, the most comforting speech in the world, the talk that rain makes by itself all over the bridges, and the talk of the water courses everywhere in the hollows!

Nobody started it, nobody is going to stop it. It will talk as long as it wants, this rain. As long as it talks I am going to listen. — Thomas Merton (Trappist monk and Catholic theologian), from Rain and the Rhinoceros

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul. – John Muir

In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks. – John Muir

Keep close to Nature’s heart… and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean. – John Muir

One may as well dam for water tanks the people’s cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been consecrated by the heart of man. – John Muir

Take a course in good water and air; and in the eternal youth of Nature you may renew your own. Go quietly, alone; no harm will befall you. – John Muir

The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness. – John Muir

The forests of America, however slighted by man, must have been a great delight to God; for they were the best He ever planted. — John Muir (American naturalist and co-founder of the Sierra Club)

Like most other things not apparently useful to man, it has few friends, and the blind question “Why was it made?’ goes on and on, with never a guess that first of all it might have been made for itself. — John Muir (American naturalist and co-founder of the Sierra Club)

Society speaks and all men listen, mountains speak and wise men listen. — John Muir (American naturalist and co-founder of the Sierra Club)

I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown; for going out, I found, was really going in. — John Muir (American naturalist and co-founder of the Sierra Club)

I . . . am always glad to touch the living rock again and dip my hand in the high mountain air. – John Muir (American naturalist and co-founder of the Sierra Club)

Walk away quietly in any direction and taste the freedom on the mountaineer…

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The wind will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. — John Muir (American naturalist and co-founder of the Sierra Club)

Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity; that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life. — John Muir (American naturalist and co-founder of the Sierra Club)

Here is calm so deep, grasses cease waiting… wonderful how completely everything in wild nature fits into us, as if truly part and parent of us. The sun shines not on us, but in us. The rivers flow not passed, but through us, thrilling, tingling, vibrating every fiber and cell of the substance of our bodies, making them glide and sing. — John Muir (American naturalist and co-founder of the Sierra Club)

How deep our sleep last night in the mountains here, beneath the trees and stars, hushed by solemn-sounding waterfalls and many small soothing voices in sweet accord whispering peace!

And our first pure mountain day, warm, calm, cloudless, — how immeasurable it seems, how serenely wild! I can scarcely remember its beginning. Along the river, over the hills, in the ground, in the sky, spring work is going on with joyful enthusiasm, new life, new beauty, unfolding, unrolling in glorious exuberant extravagance, — new birds in their nests, new winged creatures in the air, and new leaves, new flowers, spreading, shining, rejoicing everywhere. — John Muir (American naturalist and co-founder of the Sierra Club)

How hard to realize that every camp of men or beast has its glorious starry firmament for a roof. In such places, standing alone on the mountaintop, it is easy to realize that whatever special nests we make — leaves and moss like the marmots and the birds, or tents or piled stone — we all dwell in a house of one room — the world with the firmament for its roof — are all sailing the celestial spaces without leaving any track. — John Muir (American naturalist and co-founder of the Sierra Club)

When I discovered a new plant, I sat down beside it for a minute or a day, to make its acquaintance and hear what it had to tell… I asked the boulders I met, whence they came and whither they were going. — John Muir (American naturalist and co-founder of the Sierra Club)

The mountains are fountains of men as well as of rivers, of glaciers, of fertile soil. The great poets, philosophers, profits, able men whose thoughts and deeds have moved the world, have come down from the mountains — mountain-dwellers who have grown strong they are with the forest trees in Natures work-shops. — John Muir (American naturalist and co-founder of the Sierra Club)

If my soul could get away from this so-called prison, be granted all the list of attributes generally bestowed on spirits, my first ramble on spirit-wings would not be among the volcanoes of the moon. Nor should I follow the sunbeams to their sources in the sun. I should hover about the beauty of our own good star. I should not go moping around the tombs, nor around the artificial desolation of men. I should study Nature’s laws in all their crossings and unions: I should follow magnetic streams to their source and follow the shores of our magnetic oceans. I should go among the rays of the aurora, and follow them to their beginnings, and study their dealings and communions with other powers and expressions of matter. And I should go to the very center of our globe and read the whole splendid page from the beginning. – John Muir (American naturalist and co-founder of the Sierra Club)

I have a low opinion of books; they are but piles of stones set up to show travelers where other minds have been, or at best smoke signals to call attention… One day’s exposure to mountains is better than a cart load of books. — John Muir (American naturalist and co-founder of the Sierra Club)

There is growing awareness of the beauty of country … a sincere desire to keep some of it for all time. People are beginning to value highly the fact that a river runs unimpeded for a distance… They are beginning to obtain deep satisfaction from the fact that a herd of elk may be observed in back country, on ancestral ranges, where the Indians once hunted them. They are beginning to seek the healing relaxation that is possible in wild country. In short, they want it. — Olaus J. Murie (naturalist and co-founder of The Wilderness Society)

Wilderness itself is the basis of all our civilization. I wonder if we have enough reverence for life to concede to wilderness the right to live on? — Margaret (Mardy) Murie (Known as “Grandmother of the Conservation Movement,” wife of Olaus Murie)

Without knowing it, we utilize hundreds of products each day that owe their origin to wild animals and plants. Indeed our welfare is intimately tied up with the welfare of wildlife. Well may conservationists proclaim that by saving the lives of wild species, we may be saving our own. – Norman Myers (author of The Sinking Ark), 1983, from A Wealth of Wild Species

Returned me, oh sun, to my wild destiny, rain of the ancient wood, bringing me back to the aroma of swords that fall from the sky, the solitary peace of pasture and rock, the damp at the river-margins, the smell of the larch tree, the wind alive like a heart beating in the crowded restlessness of the towering araucaria.

Earth, give me back your pure gifts, the towers of silence which rose from the solemnity of their roots. I want to go back to being what I have not been, and learn to go back from such deeps that amongst all natural things I could live or not live; it does not matter to be one stone more, the dark stone, the pure stone which the river bears away. — Pablo Neruda (Chilean writer and communist politician)

The Wilderness holds answers to questions man has not yet learned how to ask. — Nancy Newhall (conservationist writer and photography critic)

All living creatures and all plants are a benefits to something. — Okute (Sioux Indian)

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting– over and over announcing your place in the family of things. – Mary Oliver (American poet), from poem Wild Geese

Appreciate it. Care for it. Never take it for granted. Allow yourself to hear the music, to feel the ancient rhythms.-  Sigurd Olson

Respect the land. It has intrinsic value that our spirits need. Don’t be afraid to fight for it. It’s worth the struggle. - Sigurd Olson

There is something to being on your own, whether in a blind, trout fishing or canoeing. Alone you get close to nature, you can listen, think, feel yourself a part of the water, at one with the trees and grasses, a part of the whole eternal picture. I think this is what many men seek but never find, the sense of being an intimate part of anything they do. So much of a man’s time is spent being a good fellow, trying to be sociable, competing with others, that he does not find the real answer. - Sigurd Olson

I think that here is so much of what a man seeks, here so much the answer of what he needs to give himself contentment that he should try and find more frequently ways of satisfying his need. Once he senses that feeling of utter familiarity, of complete attunement, then he has gone a long way toward counteracting the bleakness of civilized living. We are not so far removed as yet, but what we must satisfy often the urge to be alone, to be a part of our surroundings, of being at one with the earth and sky and water. Here is real satisfaction, here fulfillment of the constant hunger of men for the past and primitive. - Sigurd Olson

The struggle for spirit has replaced the physical, and in his evolution psychologically man’s greatest minds have become aware of the emptiness of material striving. The struggle has become a positive drive toward perfection, all in keeping with his final hope: realization of the kingdom of God within him. – Sigurd Olsen

Urban man has thrown plans to the winds and is living a catch as catch can existence dominated by impermanence, speed, and fluidity of movement. He is divorcing himself from the earth, and in this divorcement he is losing contact with elemental and spiritual things, his sense of oneness with his environment, psychological and physiological needs for which he has been conditioned for a million years by an entirely different existence. - Sigurd Olson, “Our Need of Breathing Space,” at a Resources for the Future, Inc., forum, Washington, D.C., early 1958.

Important though such experience may be to physical welfare, its most valuable asset is without question in the realm of the spiritual….To countless thousands, wilderness has become a spiritual necessity. – Sigurd Olson, The Preservation of Wilderness, Living Wilderness, Autumn 1948

There have been countless campfires, each one different, but some so blended into their backgrounds that it is hard for them to emerge. But I have found that when I catch even a glimmer of their almost forgotten light in the eyes of some friend who has shared them with me, they begin to flame once more. Those old fires have strange and wonderful powers. Even their memories make life the adventure it was meant to be. – Sigurd Olson

Simplicity in all things is the secret of the wilderness and one of its most valuable lessons. It is what we leave behind that is important. I think the matter of simplicity goes further than just food, equipment, and unnecessary gadgets; it goes into the matter of thoughts and objectives as well. When in the wilds, we must not carry our problems with us or the joy is lost. — Sigurd F. Olson (naturalist author of The Singing Wilderness)

I am trying to save the knowledge that the forests and this planet are alive, to give it back to you who have lost the understanding. — Paulinho Paiakan (Kayapo Indian chief)

Must we always teach our children with books? Let them look at the mountains and the stars up above. Let them look at the beauty of the waters and the trees and flowers on earth. They will then begin to think, and to think is the beginning of a real education. – David Polis

The thoughts of the earth are my thoughts. The voice of the earth is my voice. All that belongs to the earth belongs to me. All that surrounds the earth surrounds me. It is lovely indeed, it is lovely indeed. — Proverbs, Sayings and Songs, Navajo Song

With the beauty before me,

May I walk With beauty behind me, May I walk With beauty above me, May I walk With beauty below me, May I walk With beauty all around me, May I walk Wandering on a trail of beauty, Lively, I walk. — Proverbs, Sayings and Songs, Navajo Indians

For there are some people who can live without wild things about them and the earth beneath their feet, and some who cannot. To those of us who, in a city, are always aware of the abused and abased earth below the pavement, walking on the grass, watching the flight of birds, or finding the first spring dandelion are the rights as old and unalienable as the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We belong to no cult. We are not Nature Lovers. We don’t love nature any more than we love breathing. Nature is simply something indispensable, like air and light and water, that we accept as necessary to living, and the nearer we can get to it the happier we are. — Louise Dickinson Rich (author of We Took to the Woods)

On the path that leads to Nowhere I have sometimes found my Soul. — Corinne Roosevelt Robinson (younger sister of President Theodore Roosevelt)

At first, the people talking about ecology were only defending the fishes, the animals, the forest, and the river. They didn’t realize that human beings were in the forest — and that these human beings were the real ecologist, because they couldn’t live without the forest and the forest couldn’t be saved without them. — Osmarino Amancio Rodrigues (Amazonian rubber tapper)

When late in life, one sits under a tree and contemplates the glory of a natural scene, there are fewer besetting apprehensions that one is wasting time; lack of time, then is grimly recognized as the greatest poverty; every moment gleaned for leisure is realized as a splendid, priceless investment. If only this could be perceived earlier, how much greater would be the value of life’s time. - Calvin Rutstrum,  The Wilderness Life

The whole secret of the study of nature lies in learning how to use one’s eyes. – George Sand

To us the ashes of our ancestors are sacred and their resting place is hallowed ground. — Chief Seattle, 1855, upon surrendering his land to Governor Isaac Stevens

There is no quiet place in white man’s cities. No place to hear the unfurling of leaves in the Spring or the rustle of an insect’s wings. — Chief Seattle

You must teach your children that the ground beneath their feet is the ashes of our grandfathers. So that they will respect the land, tell your children that the earth is rich with the lives of our kin. Teach your children what we have taught our childresn–that the earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the earth, befalls the sons of the earth. If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves.

This we know. The earth does not belong to man; man belongs to earth. This we know. All things are connected like the blood which unites one family. All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself… — Chief Seattle

The more civilized man becomes, the more he needs and craves a great background of forest wildness, to which he may return like a contrite prodigal from the husks of an artificial life. — Ellen Burns Sherman

The care of rivers is not a question of rivers, but of the human heart. — Tanaka Shozo (Japanese environmental activist)

Beauty created by Nature is equal in value to, and to be accorded reverence equal to that of the beauty of music, art or poetry of man, and experts are available to testify as to degrees of natural beauty just as they are able to testify to the quality of mortals’ art. – David Sive

Nature is not a place to visit, it is home. — Gary Snyder (American poet and essayist), from Practice of the Wild

In the blue night frost haze, the sky glows with the moon pine tree tops bend snow-blue, fade into sky, frost, starlight, the creak of boots, rabbit tracks, deer tracks, what do we know. — Gary Snyder (American poet and essayist), from Pine Tree Tops

The old Lakota was wise, He knew that man’s heart, away from nature, becomes hard; he knew that lack of respect for growing, living things soon led to lack of respect for humans too. — Luther Standing Bear (Native American author)

The old people came literally to love the soil and they sat or reclined on the ground with a feeling of being close to a mothering power. It was good for the skin to touch the earth and the old people liked to remove their moccasins and walk with bare feet on the sacred Earth. Their tipis were built upon the earth and their altars were made of earth. The birds that flew into the air came to rest upon the earth and it was the final abiding place of all things that lived and grew. The soil was soothing, strengthening, cleansing and healing. – Luther Standing Bear (Native American author), from Land of the Spotted Eagle

We did not think of the great open plains, the beautiful rolling hills, and winding streams with tangled growth, as “wild.” Only to the white man was nature a “wilderness” and only to him was the land “infested” with “wild” animals and “savage” people. To us it was tame. Earth was bountiful and we were surrounded with the blessings of the Great Mystery. Not until the hairy man from the east came and with brutal frenzy heaped injustices upon us and the families we loved was it “wild” for us. When the very animals of the forest began fleeing from his approach, then it was that for us the “Wild West” began. — Luther Standing Bear (Native American author)

We simply need that wild country available to us, even if we never do more than drive to its edge and look in. For it can be a means of reassuring ourselves of our sanity as creatures, a part of the geography of hope. — Wallace Stegner (American writer, historian, and environmentalist), 1960, from a letter written to the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission

We are the most dangerous species of life on the planet, and every other species, even the earth itself, has cause to fear our power to exterminate. But we are also the only species which, when it chooses to do so, we’ll go to great effort to save what it might destroy. — Wallace Stegner (American writer, historian, and environmentalist)

I gave my heart to the mountains the minute I stood beside this river with its spray in my face and watched it thunder into foam, smooth to green glass over sunken rocks, shattering to foam again…

It was a prayer and comforting to wake in late and hear the undiminished shouting of the water in the night. And at sunup it was still there, powerful and incessant, with the slant sun tangled in its rainbow spray, the grass blue with the wetness, and the air heady as ether and scented with campfire smolder.

By such a river it is impossible to believe that one will ever be tired or old. Every sense applauds it. Taste it, feel its chill on the teeth: it is purity absolute. Watch its racing current, its steady renewal of force: it is transient and eternal. And listen again to its sounds: get far enough away so that the noise of falling tons of water does not stun the ears, and hear how much is going on underneath — a whole symphony of smaller sounds, hiss and splash and gurgle, the small talk of side channels, the whisper of blown and scattered spray gathering itself and beginning to flow again, secret and irresistible, among the wet rocks. – Wallace Stegner (American writer, historian, and environmentalist)

There’s no music like a little river’s … It takes the mind out of doors … and… sir, it quiets a man down like saying his prayers. – Robert Louis Stevenson (Scottish novelist, poet, and travel writer), from Prince Otto

Once in a while you find a place on earth that becomes your very own. A place undefined. Waiting for you to bring your color, your self. A place untouched, unspoiled, undeveloped. Raw, honest, and haunting. No one, nothing is telling you how to feel or who to be. Let the mountains have you for a day… — Sundance

We no longer see the world as a single entity. We’ve moved to cities and we think the economy is what gives us our life, that if the economy is strong we can afford garbage collection and sewage disposal and fresh food and water and electricity. We go through life thinking that money is the key to having whatever we want, without regard to what it does to the rest of the world. – David Suzuki

We are upsetting the atmosphere upon which all life depends. In the late 80s when I began to take climate change seriously, we referred to global warming as a “slowmotion catastrophe” one we expected to kick in perhaps generations later. Instead, the signs of change have accelerated alarmingly. – David Suzuki

As we watch the sun go down, evening after evening, through the smog across the poisoned watchers of our native earth, we must ask ourselves seriously whether we really wish some future universal historian on another planet to say about us: “With all their genius and with all their skill, they ran out of foresight and air and food and water and ideas,” or, “They went on playing politics until their world collapsed around them.” — U Thant (Burmese diplomat and the 3rd Secretary-General of the United Nations)

All good things are wild, and free - Henry David Thoreau

However mean your life is, meet it and live it: do not shun it and call it hard names. Cultivate poverty like a garden herb, like sage. Do not trouble yourself much to get new things, whether clothes or friends. Things do not change, we change. Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts. God will see that you do want society. - Henry David Thoreau

I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life; living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartanlike as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and, if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness out of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience. – Henry David Thoreau

Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves – Henry David Thoreau

If a man walks in the woods for love of them half of each day, he is in danger of being regarded as a loafer; but if he spends his whole day as a speculator, shearing off those woods and making earth bald before her time, he is esteemed an industrious and enterprising citizen. — Henry David Thoreau

We need the tonic of wildness, to wade sometimes in marshes where the bittern and the meadow-hen lurk, and hear the booming of the snipe; to smell the whispering sedge where only some wilder and more solitary fowl builds her nest, and the mink crawls with its belly close to the ground. – Henry David Thoreau

When I would recreate myself, I seek the darkest wood, the thickest and the most interminable, and to the citizen, most dismal swamp. I enter the swamp as a sacred place–a sanctum sanctorum.there is the strength, the marrow of Nature.— Henry David Thoreau (American writer and naturalist)

And this, our life exempt from public haunts, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything. — J.R.R. Tolkien (English writer)

One touch of nature makes the whole world kin. — J.R.R. Tolkien (English writer)

We are literally children of the earth, and removed from her our spirits wither or run to various forms of insanity. Unless we can refresh ourselves at least by intermittent contact with nature, we grow awry. – G. M. Trevelyan

It was kind of solemn, drifting down the big, still river, laying on our backs, looking up at stars, and we didn’t even feel like talking aloud. — Mark Twain (American writer), 1884, from Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Plans to protect air and water, wilderness and wildlife are in fact plans to protect man. — Stuart Udall (Arizona cabinet member)

Those who wander may not be lost. - Unknown

We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. — Unknown, Haida Indian Saying

Trees give peace to the souls of men. — Nora Waln (American writer)

After you have exhausted what there is in business, politics, conviviality, and so on — have found that none of these satisfy, or permanently wear — what remains? Nature remains. — Walt Whitman (American poet and essayist), 1892, From Specimen Days

Now I see the secret of making the best persons. It is to grow in the open air, and to eat and sleep with the earth. — Walt Whitman (American poet and essayist), from Leaves of Grass

A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain. — Wilderness Act of 1964

If you know wilderness in the way that you know love, you would be unwilling to let it go. We are talking about the body of the beloved, not real estate. — Terry Tempest Williams (American nature writer)

Come forth into the light of things. Let Nature be your teacher. — William Wordsworth (English romantic poet)

For I have learned To look on the nature, not as in the hour Of thoughtless youth; but hearing oftentimes The still, sad music of humanity, Nor harsh nor grating, though of ample power To chasten and subdue. And I have felt A presence that disturbs me with the joy Of elevated thoughts; a sense of sublime Of something far more deeply infused, Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns, And the round ocean and the living air, And the blue sky, and in the minds of man: A motion and a spirit, that impels All living things, all objects of all thought, And rolls through all things. Therefore am I still A lover of the meadows and the woods And mountains, and of all that we behold From this green earth, of all the mighty world Of eye, and ear — both what they half create, And what they perceive, will be pleased to recognize In nature and the Language of the sense The anchor of my purest thoughts, the nurse, The guide, the guardian of my heart and soul Of all my moral being. — William Wordsworth (English romantic poet)

I believe that at least in the present phase of our civilization we have a profound, a fundamental need for areas of wilderness – a need that is not only recreational and spiritual but also educational and scientific, and withal essential to a true understanding of ourselves, our culture, own own natures, and our place in all nature.

This need is for areas of the earth within which we stand without our mechanisms that make us immediate masters over our environment – areas of wild nature in which we sense ourselves to be, what in fact I believe we are, dependent members of an interdependent community of living creatures that together derive their existence from the Sun.

By very definition this wilderness is a need. The idea of wilderness as an area without man’s influence is man’s own concept. Its values are human values. Its preservation is a purpose that arises out of man’s own sense of his fundamental needs. – Howard Zahniser (author of the Wilderness Act), from The Need for Wilderness Areas

It is not long since man thought of himself as the center of the universe, thought even of the Sun – the very source of all our life – as a light by day revolving about the Earth. As our new understanding has come – through science – science also has brought us many other new and wonderful discoveries, and the new knowledge of what we are has been overlooked by many of us in our eagerness for the new knowledge of what we can do. We have become as proud over what we can do as ever our ancestors could have been over themselves as the center of the universe.

We deeply need the humility to know ourselves as the dependent members of a great community of life, and this can indeed be one of the spiritual benefits of a wilderness experience. Without the gagets, the inventions, the contrivances whereby men have seemed to establish among themselves an independence of nature, without these distractions, to know the wilderness is to know a profound humility, to recognize one’s littleness, to sense dependence and interdependence, indebtedness, and responsibility.

Perhaps, indeed, this is the distinctive ministration of wilderness to modern man, the characteristic effect of an area which we most deeply need to provide for in our preservation programs. — Howard Zahniser (author of the Wilderness Act), from The Need for Wilderness Areas

We are part of the wilderness of the universe. Some of us think we see this so clearly that for ourselves, for our childres, our continuing posterity, and our fellow men we covet with a consuming intensity the fullness of human development that keeps its contact with wildness. – Howard Zahniser (author of the Wilderness Act), from How Much Can We Afford to Lose?, in Wildlands in Our Civilization (San Francisco: Sierra Club, 1964): 51. This address was also printed in the Sierra Club Bulletin (April 1951)

I believe we have a profound fundamental need for areas of the earth where we stand without our mechanisms that make us immediate masters over our environment. — Howard Zahniser (author of the Wilderness Act)

He who has known how to love the land has loved eternity. — Stefan Zeromski (Polish novelist)

Of course this is but a sampling of what has been written on man’s role in nature….but among the ones I find most thought provoking from this list are the following:

Nature includes all of the universe and man is not only a part of nature, he is in it up to his neck. – N.J. Berrill (science writer)

Remember, you belong to Nature, not it to you. – Archibald Belaney, aka Grey Owl

You must teach your children that the ground beneath their feet is the ashes of our grandfathers. So that they will respect the land, tell your children that the earth is rich with the lives of our kin. Teach your children what we have taught our childresn–that the earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the earth, befalls the sons of the earth. If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves.

This we know. The earth does not belong to man; man belongs to earth. This we know. All things are connected like the blood which unites one family. All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself… — Chief Seattle

And some not mentioned in the above list, from more of a paddling perspective….but just as important to ponder on:

You have to do what you can, do your best with what you are. And you have to believe in wilderness. If you do that you can’t go wrong. –  Kirk Albert Walter Wipper b Grahamdale, Manitoba, December 6th, 1923 d Peterborough, Ontario, March 18, 2011

Wilderness: a beautiful word to describe a beautiful land. Wilderness though is a white man’s concept. To the Native people, the land was not wild. It was home. It provided shelter, clothed and fed them. And echoing through their souls was a song of the land. The singing isn’t as loud as it used to be. But you can still hear it in the wind….in the silence of the misty morning….in the drip of the water from the tip of a paddle. The song is still here if you know how to listen. – Bill Mason, Song Of the Paddle

On wilderness: I like being out here. I like looking around. Listening. Seeing how the wilderness fits together. It’s like a puzzle. When we go in and change things, it upsets the balance. And what a great puzzle our world is. It’s beautiful, powerful, and mysterious. – Becky Mason

If it is calm, the canoes drifting through reflections with nothing to break the vast silence but the hypnotic swish of paddles, there are moments when one seems suspended between heaven and earth. If it is stormy and the lakes alive, with whitecaps and blowing spume, each instant is full of battle and excitement. When, after hours and sometimes days, the misty outlines of the lake take form again, islands slowly emerge and float upon the surface, headlands become real, one passes through a door into the beyond itself and the mystery is no more.

Life is a series of open horizons, with one no sooner completed than another looms ahead. Some are traversed swiftly, while others extend so far into the future one cannot predict their end. Penetrations into the unknown, all give meaning to what has gone before, and courage for what is to come. More than physical features, they are horizons of mind and spirit, and when one looks backward, we find they have blended into the whole panorama of our lives. - Sigurd Olson, from Open Horizons, 1969.

The sun was trembling now on the edge of the ridge. It was alive, almost fluid and pulsating, and as I watched it sink I thought that I could feel the earth turning from it, actually feel its rotation. Over all was the silence of the wilderness, that sense of oneness which comes only when there are no distracting sights or sounds, when we listen with inward ears and see with inward eyes, when we feel and are aware with our entire beings rather than our senses. I thought as I sat there of the ancient admonition “Be still and know that I am God,” and knew that without stillness there can be no knowing, without divorcement from outside influences man cannot know what spirit means. - Sigurd Olson, The Singing Wilderness

As a society and a individual you become very stale. No challenge. Out here, I know exactly what I’m about. You can’t fake your character out here. Wilderness actually will bite you back. You are who you are. It’s good for the body and good for the soul. I want to be that 80-year old guy sitting on the porch and saying “I remember when…” as opposed to saying “I wish I did…” – Kevin Callan from “This Is Canoeing” video.

Just some thoughts about our place in the bigger scheme of things….as part of Mother Earth….and all of her wonderful natural world….

Paddles up until later then…..

More Great Quotes To Ponder

I thought I’d share a few more quotes regarding the canoe….and its part in one’s paddling:

….the canoe is not a lifeless, inanimate object; it feels very much alive, alive with the life of the river. – Bill Mason, Path of the Paddle

There is nothing that is so aesthetically pleasing and yet so functional and versatile as the canoe. – Bill Mason

A journey by canoe along ancient waterways is a good way to rediscover our lost relationship with the natural world and the Creator who put it together so long ago. - Bill Mason, Path of the Paddle

The path of the paddle can be a means of getting things back to their original perspective. - Bill Mason, Path of the Paddle

I’m sure there are many things I’ll never learn by traveling over the earth in a canoe. I’m just not sure any of them are worth much. - Douglas Woods, Paddle Whispers

….the paddle whispers, the canoe glides….- Douglas Woods, Paddle Whispers

The canoe is the most practical, efficient and satisfying way to travel through wild country, particularly on the Canadian Shield, where you can go almost anywhere. I think of that country every day of my life. One of the things I like best about canoe travel is that you are completely self-reliant. There is no dependence on mechanical devices. It is utterly simple. For me, the canoe means complete freedom – the ultimate escape. - Alex Hall

I have always had a desire to explore out-of-way places. Together, the canoe and this country’s many waterways provide the ideal combination. When travelling by canoe you seem to blend in rather than being an intrusion on your surroundings. – John B. Hughes

Canoeing is the best way to become intimate with the land. You can cover so much more territory in a canoe. You don’t need to concentrate on your feet, thereby allowing your eyes to soak up the landscape around you. Travel by canoe is more about the journey than the destination. – Rolf Kraiker

Today, most Canadian canoeing is recreational. Many of us would assert that it is usually meaningful, aesthetically fulfilling and ecologically sensitive recreational canoeing. Admittedly, these modifiers are not present in the highly competitive, highly structured and technically oriented canoe racing sports which tend not to take place in a wilderness environment. But with these large exceptions, canoeing, certainly canoe tripping and lake water canoe cruising, tends to involve in varying degrees a quest for wilderness or at least semi-wilderness. It also involves a search for high adventure or natural tranquility or both. These activities are an integral part of Canadian culture. Bill Mason asserts that the canoe is “the most beautiful work of human beings, the most functional yet aesthetically pleasing object ever created,” and that paddling a canoe is “an art” not a technical achievement. That certainly means culture. - Bruce Hodgins, from Canexus, p.46

It’s pretty hard for me to go more than a few days without getting a paddle wet somewhere. For me, that stepping into the canoe and pushing off is a very special spiritual and physical experience. Bill Mason had it right: it’s like walking on water. It transports you to another way of being, another way of feeling – it restores my soul. – David Finch

I like to encourage people to paddle because it gives them a different way to experience the river, the landscape and…life. – David Finch

It is such a great way to take in a wide range of experiences. When we paddle, the experience of place moves from the brain to the heart, making it a life-forming experience. – Kevin Redmond

Over the weekend I realized what a skilled solo paddler can do – move the canoe sideways, pirouette around the paddle, and turn gracefully with a little forward momentum. Meditation in motion. If whitewater paddling is slam dancing, flatwater paddling is ballet. I had discovered another way to have fun instead of just crossing the lake. - Sheena Masson, from Confessions Of A Know It All Or Why To Take A Clinic in The Canoe In Canadian Cultures by Bruce W. Hodgins, John Jennings, Doreen Small

Nothing like paddling a canoe to restore the spirit and reconnect with this gorgeous planet that sustains us. - Dalton McGuinty, Ontario premier in twitter to Badger Paddles folks.

May every dip of your paddle lead you towards a rediscovery of yourself, of your canoeing companions, of the wonders of nature, and of the unmatched physical and spiritual rapture made possible by the humble canoe - Pierre Elliott Trudeau, foreword to Path of the Paddle by Bill Mason, 1980

Paddling a canoe is a source of enrichment and inner renewal. – Pierre Elliott Trudeau

Canoeing gets you back close to nature, using a method of travel that does not even call for roads or paths. You are following nature’s roads; you are choosing the road less travelled, as Robert Frost once wrote in another context, and that makes all the difference. You discover a sort of simplifying of your values, a distinction between those artificially created and those that are necessary to your spiritual and human development. – Pierre Elliott Trudeau

I think a lot of people want to go back to basics sometimes, to get their bearings. For me a good way to do that is to get into nature by canoe – to take myself as far away as possible from everday life, from its complications and from the artificial wants created by civilization. Canoeing forces you to make a distinction between your needs and your wants. – Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Memoirs

I paddle a canoe as a past-time. Beyond the simple mechanics of paddling is the actual dance of the canoe. We create the sheer poetry of motion by making a rhythm or even music with the canoe; literally making the canoe dance. Just as there are no wrong notes in making music (at least in the purest sense), even if we don’t know the exact correct paddle strokes, we can move that canoe, creating our own poetry or dance. As we become more proficient in paddling we can create a more intricate dance. But when we come to add emotion to our paddling, we create a vision. Then that canoe dance almost seems to takes on a life of its own. It is more than just mere paddling…almost as if that canoe becomes an extension of ourselves. Freeing ourselves. And the canoe is the vehicle or instrument to such freedom. The freedom found in making beautiful music together with my canoe. – Mike Ormsby

Paddles up until later then….and, if you already aren’t doing so, think about making your canoe part of your life….

Some Words For Thought

From my Canoe Quotes And Writings page:

The way of a canoe is the way of the wilderness, and of a freedom almost forgotten. - Sigurd Olson, 1956

From Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society Facebook page:

Words for thought:  Logging impacts the carbon cycle. Logging removes biomass, disturbs the forest floor and soil, and changes the stand microclimate. Another reason to make sure we are managing our forests sustainably.

Power Of The Canoe

Last autumn I did a presentation to the 40th Annual Conference for the Council of Outdoor Educators of Ontario (COEO) on the Fort Severn canoe project. I wrote and re-wrote my presentation….by the time I was done it certainly caused me to consider the power of the canoe…..in my life….and in so many others.

Just before the COEO Conference, I visited the Canadian Canoe Museum with two Anishnaabe friends who had never been there before. Both were amazed at the display of canoes there….particularly the ones in the Origins gallery. Not just the bark canoes similar to those of their ancestors….but also the West coast canoes….the Inuit kayaks. And how the canoe played such an important role in Canada’s history….especially through the exploration and development of fur trade routes. The fur trade was a large factor in the development of Canada….as many of us know. But going through the Canoe Museum with first time visitors gave me an opportunity to see things through new eyes….especially in seeing the power of the canoe.

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–>I was involved with the Fort Severn canoe project last year….and saw first hand how the canoe can transform people’s lives (even my own).

There were other projects involving canoes such as the bark canoes built in Ottawa, Durham and on Bear Island in Temagami.

I thought back to many others who have thought about the power of the canoe:

The canoe carried aboriginal people for thousands of years, followed then by the explorers and the missionaries and the engineers and the surveyors….until in modern times it gives us the gift of freedom. The canoe is a vehicle that carries you into pretty exciting places, not only into whitewater but into the byways and off-beaten places….You are removed entirely from the mundane aspects of ordinary life. You’re witnessing first hand beauty and peace and freedom – especially freedom….Flirtation with the wilderness is contact with truth, because the truth is in nature….I like to identify myself with something that is stable and enduring. Although [nature] is in a state of flux, it is enduring. It is where reality is. I appreciate the canoe for its gifts in that direction. - Kirk Wipper, from CBC Radio’s  Ideas program The Perfect Machine: The Canoe.

First, the canoe connects us to Ma-ka-ina, Mother Earth, from which we came and to which we must all return. Councils of those who were here before us revered the earth and also the wind, the rain, and the sun – all essential to life. It was from that remarkable blending of forces that mankind was allowed to create the canoe and its several kindred forms.

From the birch tree, came the bark; from the spruce, pliant roots; from the cedar, the ribs, planking and gunwales; and from a variety of natural sources, the sealing pitch.

In other habitats, great trees became dugout canoes while, in treeless areas, skin, bone and sinew were ingeniously fused into kayaks. Form followed function, and manufacture was linked to available materials. Even the modern canoe, although several steps away from the first, is still a product of the earth. We have a great debt to those who experienced the land before us. No wonder that, in many parts of the world, the people thank the land for allowing its spirit to be transferred to the canoe.

Hand-propelled watercraft still allow us to pursue the elemental quest for tranquility, beauty, peace, freedom and cleaness. It is good to be conveyed quietly, gracefully, to natural rhythms….

The canoe especially connects us to rivers – timeless pathways of the wilderness. Wave after wave of users have passed by. Gentle rains falling onto a paddler evaporate skyward to form clouds and then to descend on a fellow traveller, perhaps in another era. Like wise, our waterways contain something of the substance of our ancestors. The canoe connects us to the spirit of these people who walk beside us as we glide silently along riverine trails. – Kirk Wipper, in foreword to Canexus (also published as “Connections” in Stories From The Bow Seat: The Wisdom And Waggery Of Canoe Tripping by Don Standfield and Liz Lundell, p. 15)

An interest in the wilderness means getting there, and getting there means canoes.- Kirk Wipper (from 2010 interview)

….the canoe is not a lifeless, inanimate object; it feels very much alive, alive with the life of the river. – Bill Mason, Path of the Paddle

There is nothing that is so aesthetically pleasing and yet so functional and versatile as the canoe. – Bill Mason

I have always believed that the Canadian Wooden canoe is one of the greatest achievements of mankind. There is nothing that is so aesthetically pleasing and yet so functional and versatile as the canoe. It is as much a part of our land as the rocks and trees and lakes and rivers. It takes as much skill and artistry to paddle a canoe well as it does to paint a picture of it. In this painting I wanted to capture the look and feel of a well-worn travelling companion. There’s hardly a rib or plank that isn’t cracked but after a quarter of a century it’s still wearing its original canvas. – Bill Mason, Canoescapes (NOTE: This was in reference to a painting done by Bill Mason of his favourite Chestnut canoe.)

There is one thing I should warn you about before you decide to get serious about canoeing. You must consider the possibility of becoming totally and incurably hooked on it. You must also face the fact that every fall about freeze-up time you go through a withdrawal period as you watch the lakes and rivers icing overone by one. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing can help a little to ease the pain, but they won’t guarantee a complete cure. – Bill Mason, Path of the Paddle

When you look at the face of Canada and study the geography carefully, you come away with the feeling that God could have designed the canoe first and then set about to conceive a land in which it could flourish. - Bill Mason, Path of the Paddle

….we need to be more aware of where we are headed and from whence we came. An appreciation of the canoe and acquisition of the necessary skills to utilize it as a way to journey back to what’s left of the natural world is a great way to begin this voyage of discovery. - Bill Mason, Path Of The Paddle

A journey by canoe along ancient waterways is a good way to rediscover our lost relationship with the natural world and the Creator who put it together so long ago. - Bill Mason, Path of the Paddle

The path of the paddle can be a means of getting things back to their original perspective. - Bill Mason, Path of the Paddle

….the age of the canoe is not gone; it’s just different. the canoe is no longer a vehicle of trade and commerce. Instead, it has become a means of venturing back into what is left of the natural world. It’s true there isn’t much left to be discovered, but there is much to be rediscovered about the land, about the creatures who live there, and about ourselves. Where do we come from and where are we going? There is no better place and no better way to follow this quest into the realm of spirit than along the lakes and rivers of the North American wilderness in a canoe. -Bill Mason, Path Of The Paddle

The first thing you must learn about canoeing is that the canoe is not a lifeless, inanimate object; it feels very much alive, alive with the life of the river. Life is transmitted to the canoe by the currents of the air and the water upon which it rides. The behavior and temperament of the canoe is dependent upon the elements: from the slightest breeze to a raging storm, from the smallest ripple to a towering wave, or from a meandering stream to a thundering rapid. - Bill Mason, Path Of The Paddle

On her passion for the canoe: Sometimes when I’m hiking I feel like I’m crushing things under foot. But when I’m in a canoe I glide with the currents, feeling the tug of the water underneath. And that’s why it’s special to me. – Becky Mason

Becky Mason’s essay Reflections, which I felt was worth repeating:

I have often thought about the connections that paddlers experience when canoeing. Peace, reflection and wonder come to mind. I suppose it’s a desire to seek a form of quiet meditation. I find it natural to turn to paddling as a meditation point. I’m not sure that the canoe is the real catalyst for me though. It’s the natural environment that really elevates my awareness and feeling of heightened spiritually and belonging. For instance, I would not feel at one with my surroundings if I was paddling indoors in a chlorinated pool, where as I might feel totally different if I had hiked into a remote waterfall.

But canoeing is in my blood. I have found that it is not a separate entity in my life but part of my psyche and personal make up. My Dad, by example, showed me that this balance was possible. He was always so busy and active, working and going non-stop for months at a time. Nevertheless, he recognised that he really needed the quiet solitude of a wilderness journey to nourish his soul and rekindle his spirit.

As far back as I can remember, I have been spending a part of my summer canoeing and camping in the wilderness. These have been memorable and rewarding trips but equally important for me is the hour or two of paddling I can squeeze into the middle of a busy week. I like to jump in my canoe and head out with no real destination or purpose, just letting the wind and my whims lead me where they may. Upon returning to my desk and slogging through the pile of stuff that needs attending I enjoy thinking of the adventures I will be able to continue on my next paddle.

It’s fun to fantasize about paddling. To imagine exploring further that tiny trickle of a headwater, that slowly builds and turns into a lively river with rapids I dance in, and chutes and falls I portage around, and mirror-like pools I spin and play upon. However, nothing can substitute for the real thing. So I do get out there. And when I do, that feeling of being at one with the land and water and air slowly surrounds and envelops me, it feels very calming and Zen like. And I know that in my dreams and in my life I will eagerly continue on, going just a little further down that creek to see what is there and what new wonders the wilderness will have to teach me. – Becky Mason

Canoeing is always an educational experience, fortunately learning is what makes it’s fun. - Paul Mason.

May every dip of your paddle lead you towards a rediscovery of yourself, of your canoeing companions, of the wonders of nature, and of the unmatched physical and spiritual rapture made possible by the humble canoe - Pierre Elliott Trudeau, foreword to Path of the Paddle by Bill Mason, 1980

What sets a canoeing expedition apart is that it purifies you more rapidly and inescapably than any other. Travel a thousand miles by train and you are a brute; pedal five hundred on a bicycle and you remain basically bourgeois; paddle a hundred in a canoe and you already a child of nature. – Pierre Elliott Trudeau

I know a man whose school could never teach him patriotism, but who acquired that virtue when he felt in his bones the vastness of his land, and the greatness of those who founded it. – Pierre Elliott Trudeau (From Exhaustion and Fulfillment: The Ascetic in a Canoe, 1944; also cited in  Pierre Elliott Trudeau: Why He Paddled by Jamie Benidickson, pp. 54-59, from Kanawa, Fall 2001.)

Paddling a canoe is a source of enrichment and inner renewal. – Pierre Elliott Trudeau

Canoeing gets you back close to nature, using a method of travel that does not even call for roads or paths. You are following nature’s roads; you are choosing the road less travelled, as Robert Frost once wrote in another context, and that makes all the difference. You discover a sort of simplifying of your values, a distinction between those artificially created and those that are necessary to your spiritual and human development. – Pierre Elliott Trudeau

I think a lot of people want to go back to basics sometimes, to get their bearings. For me a good way to do that is to get into nature by canoe – to take myself as far away as possible from everday life, from its complications and from the artificial wants created by civilization. Canoeing forces you to make a distinction between your needs and your wants. – Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Memoirs

A canoeing expedition….involves a starting point rather than a parting. Although it assumes the breaking of ties, its purpose is not to destroy the past, but to lay down a foundation for the future. From now on, every living act will be built on this step, which will serve as a base long after the return of the expedition….and until the next one. - Pierre Trudeau

….a man is part of his canoe and therefore part of all it knows. The instant he dips a paddle he flows as it flows. - Sigurd Olson, The Singing Wilderness.

The movement of a canoe is like a reed in the wind. Silence is part of it, and the sounds of lapping water, bird songs, and wind in the trees. It is part of the medium through which it floats, the sky, the water, the shores….There is magic in the feel of a paddle and the movement of a canoe, a magic compounded of distance, adventure, solitude, and peace. The way of a canoe is the way of the wilderness, and of a freedom almost forgotten. It is an antidote to insecurity, the open door to waterways of ages past, and a way of life with profound and abiding satisfactions. When a man is part of his canoe, he is part of all that canoes have ever known. – Sigurd Olson from  The Singing Wilderness

The canoe was drifting off the islands, and the time had come for the calling, that moment of magic in the north when all is quiet and the water still iridescent with the fading glow of sunset. Even the shores seemed hushed and waiting for the first lone call, and when it came, a single long-drawn mournful note, the quiet was deeper than before. - Sigurd Olson, The Singing Wilderness

I would paddle out swiftly onto the open lake if the moon was shining down its path. It never failed to come to me when going down that brilliant shining highway into space. Most completely of all would I be taken when lying on my back looking at the stars. The gentle motion of the canoe softly swaying, the sense of space and infinity given by the stars, gave me the sense of being suspended in the ether. My body had no weight, my soul was detached and I careened freely through a delightfullness of infinite distance…. Sometimes the night cry of the loon would enhance the illusion. For long periods I would lie, having lost track of time and location. A slap of a wavelet would jerk me back into the present and I would paddle back to the glowing coals of the deserted camp fire, trying to fathom the depths of the experience I had been through. - Sigurd Olson, in his Journal, Jan. 20, 1930

The sun was trembling now on the edge of the ridge. It was alive, almost fluid and pulsating, and as I watched it sink I thought that I could feel the earth turning from it, actually feel its rotation. Over all was the silence of the wilderness, that sense of oneness which comes only when there are no distracting sights or sounds, when we listen with inward ears and see with inward eyes, when we feel and are aware with our entire beings rather than our senses. I thought as I sat there of the ancient admonition “Be still and know that I am God,” and knew that without stillness there can be no knowing, without divorcement from outside influences man cannot know what spirit means. - Sigurd Olson, The Singing Wilderness

The singing wilderness has to do with the calling of the loons….It is concerned with the simple joys, the timelessness and perspective found in a way of life that is close to the past. – Sigurd Olson

The way of a canoe is the way of the wilderness, and of a freedom almost forgotten. – Sigurd Olson, 1956

On age: “For an old man, a canoe is ideal; he need only sit and move his arms.” – E.B.White

I’m sure there are many things I’ll never learn by traveling over the earth in a canoe. I’m just not sure any of them are worth much.- Douglas Woods,Paddle Whispers

….the paddle whispers, the canoe glides….- Douglas Woods, Paddle Whispers

I remember my very first canoe trip. I was terrified. We were venturing out into what seemed to be uncharted territory, perhaps never to be seen again. Every aspect of it was intimidating … but especially the idea that somehow our survival depended on us doing stuff and doing it together and doing it right. Of course, steadily, terror gave way to triumph, and I returned with an indescribable feeling of achievement.–Michael Eisner

Wherever there is a channel for water, there is a road for the canoe. – Henry David Thoreau

Everyone must believe in something. I believe I’ll go canoeing. – Henry David Thoreau

It is wonderful how well watered this country is…. Generally, you may go any direction in a canoe, by making frequent but not very long portages. - Henry David Thoreau

The canoe implies a long antiquity in which its manufacture has been gradually perfected. It will ere long, perhaps, be ranked among the lost arts. — Henry David Thoreau, The Maine Woods

It was inspiriting to hear the regular dip of the paddles, as if they were our fins or flippers, and to realize that we were at length fairly embarked. – Henry David Thoreau

God grant me the serenity to walk the portages I must,

The courage to run the rapids I can,

And the wisdom to know the difference. – Anonymous

Mind over matter, canoe over water. – Kevin Quischan

To canoe is to be moved. – Doug E. Bell

If there’s a place, canoe there. – Brent Kelly

Never trust a person who’s feet are dry and he is paddling a canoe. – Anonymous

May your portages be short and the breezes gentle on your back. – Anonymous

Why do we come to this place with its clouds of black flies and mosquitoes, the gravel road that rattles your bones, teeth and tires loose? Why do so many of us return year after year with the spring thaw? We migrate, not unlike other species, to the North, to the water, to the bush and shield rock country that makes up Northern Saskatchewan. We pack up our paddles and gear, strap our canoes on roofs- some of them nice, more of them dented aged jalopies- and instinctively make our way northbound on the CANAM highway.

People ask how I can stand the 13-hour, door to door drive to Missinipe. How do I explain a love for watching geography as it changes with each mile? How do I explain the burst of energy that I am infused with when I pass over the bridge in Prince Albert and the whole world changes from one of lush farmland to one of boreal forest with sneak peeks of lakes with their loons calling in the early evening? I don’t need to explain it to my dog for she wakes from her slumber to sniff at the windowsill. I open it for myself as much as I do for her, breathing in the scent of the Jackpines and fresh water. – Shannon Bond, Churchill River Canoe Blog

Get some colour in those cheeks! Paddle Naked! – Signature from online canoeing forum.

I feel the canoe is actually a metaphor for the Canadian character. It’s not loud, pushy or brassy. It’s quiet, adaptable and efficient, and it gets the job done. – Janice Griffith, former General Manager of the Canadian Canoe Museum

They say that one day God was fooling around, the way He does, and son of a gun if He didn’t make a canoe. Well, He’d made a lot of stuff, but that canoe really blew Him away. “Helluva boat,” He said. “But where am I going to paddle it?” All of a sudden, it came to Him. “I know,” He said. “I’ll make Canada.” – from Burying Ariel, by Gail Bowen

The canoe is a miracle. I cannot spend enough time on the water. My canoe is called “Margaritaville”. – Phil Chadwick

We do not go into the green woods and crystal waters to rough it; we go to smooth it. We get it rough enough at home…. – Nessmuk, 1884

I went along to iron out the wrinkles in my soul. - Omond Solandt

Doing what you like is FREEDOM, liking what you do is HAPPINESS. - Unknown

Happiness is paddling a canoe on the river of life. – Unknown

May good friends and a good paddle always be at your side - Unknown

Originality is unexplored territory. You get there by carrying a canoe. You can’t take a taxi. – Alan Alda

There is a sense of timelessness and tranquility that goes with canoeing. These feelings come from fitting in with history, tapping a connection to our beginnings in the here-and-now and having a concern to preserve the future integrity of this activity. So past, present and future meet…. - Bob Henderson, Reflections Of A Bannock Baker from Canexus.

Give me a good canoe, a pair of Jibway snowshoes, my beaver, my family and 10,000 square miles of wilderness and I am happy – Grey Owl

When I first ventured to Temagami in the early spring of 1970, paddling solo in a fourteen-foot cedar-canvas canoe, with the snow falling and the ice still partially on the lake, I passed through a portal into another world – Grey Owl’s world – and I knew I had found my home. - Hap Wilson, Grey Owl and Me, p. 18

Canoeing more or less defines who I am. Patched boats in the backyard affirm soul truths. My home, Canada, is not an abstraction; it is kindred canoe spirits and a constellation of sun-alive, star-washed campsites, linked by rivers, lakes, and ornery portages; scapes of the heart, rekindled by sensations that linger long after the pain is gone. When I meet someone, I wonder what they would be like on a trip. - James Raffan

The paddling rhythm allows us to focus on the here-and-now. Senses are tuned and aware, but not focusing on anything in particular. I’m aware of bodies falling easily into the monotony of the motion. The magic of paddling for hours in the efficiency of the action. For every action there is a resting phase – the yin (sic) of exertion, the yang (sic) of rest. For every expenditure of energy, there is renewal of breath and power from the motion of the boat. Resting phase: hands fall forward, shoulders tilt, the blade drops into the water and every part of the body evenly flexes to the task. Exertion: I look down and see my bare toes flex against the sand in the bottom of the boat as the stroke begins. The thigh follows, left more than on the right. The demand of the right side of my torso is smooth and even. The demand on the left side – the side I’m paddling on – is wave-like. I look down as the power of the stroke peaks: chest and upper arm flex together as the paddle swings forward again. Gail’s back shows the other side of the effort. Sheets of muscle in her back are a series of delicately shadowed triangles that focus their force towards her spine. Her shoulders glisten in the light and drop slightly as she tips forward and begins a new stroke. Watching the sequence of motion played out through the smooth muscles in Gail’s back makes me aware of a high-frequency tingling in the nape of my neck. I daren’t tip forward for fear of springing a wire. It seems odd that the paddle is the object being powered and the spine is the place from which the power is being dispatched. Our paddles enter the water on opposite sides of the boat, but I’m conscious right now that the power is centralized. It comes from the core. It’s motion derived of the soul and of the land whose energy flows through in every sense. - James Raffan

We need quiet places, and we need quiet ways to travel in them. We never quite realize how valuable they are until we’ve been paddling, camping, and fishing in them for a few days. Once cleansed of the residue of daily living, it’s possible to find what my son once called ‘a calm spot’ in your heart. It’s a good thing to find. – Jerry Dennis, From a Wooden Canoe

Requiem for a Paddler

So many times we sat in the woodsmoke of morning as the sun searched out our camp.

We felt the touch of a Creator whose name we did not know.

Someone conceived these places, and dreamed the perfect shape of a canoe.

So many times we would talk without speaking, move with a knowing.

Someone created us, not each of us, but the two of us – the something that makes us as one.

You are packed and leaving on a solo run. I will follow in time with hope that the current carries me where you have gone and we will once again sit in the rising mist

together.

I pray there is a God. - Peter G. Gilchrist

It has always fascinated me how the Aboriginal inventers of the canoe had the foresight to design a craft that would fit perfectly, upside down, on cars that hadn’t yet been imagined.

Not only that, but they had such a sense of fashion that their invention would fit like a dapper cap as car and canoe head up the narrowing highways toward certain adventure.

I mean, think about it – what other vehicle on Earth can you use as a hat when it rains, a shelter when it storms or a table when it’s time to eat?

And what other country would define its people by their ability to make love in such a vehicle? Certainly the Germans don’t do this with the Volkswagen “Bug”!

I love my canoe. Nothing in the material world has cost less; nothing has afforded me more opportunity to flee that world.

In this age of fretting over our carbon footprint, how comforting is it to know that you not only don’t require fuel but will not be spilling at the dock? For those who still follow the original art of canoe manufacturing, this is transportation that can be made from completely natural materials and can be maintained forever with natural repair materials.

Given such wonderful tradition, then, it is only appropriate that while we have the National Gallery in Ottawa to hold Tom Thomson’s Jack Pine and the Art Gallery of Ontario to show his West Wind, we also have the Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough to honour the craft that got him to such exquisite locations.

For the canoe is as much a part of the Canadian landscape as the trees, the rocks, the mountains, the rivers – and even the highways heading for essential escape. - Roy MacGregor, author and Globe and Mail Columnist

We are Canadians who took the time and hard work to feel the history in the stroke of our paddles and blisters in our boots. - Michael Peake

In Canada, whether or not we have much to do with canoes proper, the canoe is simply inside us. — Roger MacGregor

Wood and canvas canoes are strong, seaworthy, exceptionally responsive to the paddle and soothing to the human spirit – Hugh Stewart, master canoe builder, Headwater Canoes

The concept and the magic of a canvas-covered canoe is that it can have two, three, or even four new outer skins in its lifetime… These canoes are exceptionally recyclable and ultimately, except for screws, tacks and brass, biodegradable. — Hugh Stewart, wood-canvas canoe-builder and owner of Wakefield, Quebec’s Headwater Canoes

Going down a river or crossing a lake in anything but wood-canvas is like floating on a linoleum rug. That’s just how it looks when you glance inside one of those types of canoes and watch the bottom flex and shimmer with the water. Whereas, in any wood-canvas canoe you have all these beautiful rich colors of the cedar planking and ribs, hardwood gunwales and decks, and caned seats. Even the smells are nice and directly relate to the environment you are traveling through. - Jack Hurley, canoebuilder

I suppose there would always be an argument for the different types of materials and canoe designs, but the wood-canvas canoe is one generation away from the birchbark canoe and was made for working and transporting people through the wilderness. It was designed and made out of materials that would stand up to miles and miles of flatwater and whitewater and portaging through very rugged and unexplored terrain. As a trip leader with kids and adults, I have safely traveled across many lakes in a wood-canvas canoe in conditions where other experienced paddlers in the new-design boats were either windbound or took on water during the crossings. - Jim Spencer, canoebuilder.

A canoe must fill many unusual requirements: it must be light and portable, yet strong and seaworthy, and it must embody practical qualities for paddle, pole, and sail. It must reject every superfluity of design and construction, yet satisfy the tastes of its owner and safely carry heavy dunnage through unpredictable conditions. These demands will be met by a builder both meticulous and clever – one who, through resourcefulness and dedicated craftsmanship, can build a canoe that will be an everlasting source of joy. It will provide pleasures that continue throughout the four seasons: loving labors that extend from spring refit through a summer and autumn of hard work and play, and on through the winter layup period of redesigning, building, and improving the canoe and its auxiliary gear.

I hope the author’s text….will impart….a proper understanding of of the creation of simple, graceful canoes. It is sad that the practical knowledge and technical skill necessary to build them has remained virtually uncommunicated. One can only hope that revealing a part of this information will result in a clearer understanding of the special bond between the traditionalist canoeist and the wood-canvas canoe. For indeed, a canoe reflects the spirit of its builder and user that develops a character more akin to a living thing than to a mere object of possession…. – Clint Tuttle (canoe builder and instructor of wooden boatbuilding), from the Foreword of Building The Maine Guide Canoe by Jerry Stelmok.

Time spent in a wooden canoe of fine lines and able handling qualities is intoxicating. Restoring vintage canoes or building such craft from scratch can be consuming. It will ruin a man or a woman for any other work. This is not to dismiss all canoe builders as rapscallions, curmudgeons, or reprobates. But in the majority of cases there are the symptoms of an addiction, or at least a suspension of common sense where canoes are concerned. We are kin to the hard-bitten trout fisherman who stands out in the wind and rain breaking ice from the guides of his fly rod for a chance at an early season rainbow, or the railbird unable to resist the summons of the bugle, knowing it will be followed by the starting gun which will launch the thoroughbreds from the gates. We all know better, yet we simply can’t help ourselves. Why else would we devote our most productive years attempting to revive an industry that has not known real prosperity since before the Great Depression? Today, at long last, wooden canoes and their construction are enjoying a quiet renaissance, and this only encourages us, adding fuel to our dreams. – From the Introduction to The Wood and Canvas Canoe: A Complete Guide To Its History, Construction, Restoration, And Maintenance by Jerry Stelmok and Rollin Thurlow.

Beautiful things made by hand carry within them the seeds of their survival. They generate a spark of affection. For some it’s sentimental, for some it’s the art of the craftsmanship, for some the beauty of the finished boat. People love these things and try hard to ensure they endure.

The survival of the wood-canvas canoe (to paraphrase John McPhee) is certainly a matter of the heart; a romantic affair. The economics are unfavorable. In fact, the wood-canvas canoe’s most conspicuous asset and advantage is that it’s a beautiful piece of art. It’s the Shaker rocking chair of outdoor sport – handcrafted, simple, clean, and functional. There’s nothing in it that doesn’t have to be there, but all of the pieces add up to more than the parts. It works well and looks wonderful doing it. - From Honeymoon With A Prospector by Lawrence Meyer

Travel by canoe is not a necessity, and it will nevermore be the most efficient way to get from one region to another, or even from one lake to another — anywhere. A canoe trip has become simply a rite of oneness with certain terrain, a diversion of the field, an act performed not because it is necessary, but because there is value in the act itself… - John McPhee, The Survival of the Bark Canoe

I think it much better that, as we all go along together, that every man paddle his own canoe — Character of ‘The Indian’ in The Settlers in Canada by Captain Marryat (1844)

For 24 years I was a light canoeman. I required but little sleep, but sometimes got less than I required. No portage was too long for me; all portages were alike. My end of the canoe never touched the ground ’til I saw the end of it. Fifty songs a day were nothing to me. I could carry, paddle, walk and sing with any man I ever saw… I pushed on – over rapids, over cascades, over chutes; all were the same to me. No water, no weather ever stopped the paddle or the song… There is no life so happy as a voyageur’s life; none so independent; no place where a man enjoys so much variety and freedom as in the Indian country. Huzza, huzza pour le pays sauvage! — anonymous coureur-de-bois quoted by a Hudson’s Bay Co. historian

What the camel is to desert tribes, what the horse is to the Arab, what the ship is to the colonizing Briton, what all modern means of locomotion are to the civilized world today, that, and more than that, the canoe was to the Indian who lived beside the innumerable waterways of Canada. — William Wood

A canoe is a canoe is a canoe — Anonymous

Even long ago there were some men who could not make all the things that were needed. In each camp there were only a few who could make everything. The hardest thing to build was the canoe. The man who could make a canoe was very happy because the people depended on it so much. – John Kawapit Eastern Cree Great Whale River, Quebec

Had I done it alone by canoe I might have boasted a little. — Sergeant Farrar, RCMP, 3rd mate aboard the St. Roch, first vessel to circumnavigate North America

The romantic life of each colony also has a special flavour – Australian rhyme is a poetry of the horse; Canadian, of the canoe — William Douw Lighthall

And the paddle, in  the water, is a long, lost friend. There are times I’d like to wander down a river without end, In a hull of flowing cedar, carved by knowing hands, That sings of rushing water — the spirit of the land. - Shield by Dave Hadfield

Firewood, smoke and oranges, path of old canoe; I would course the inland ocean to be back to you; No matter where I go to, it’s always home again; To the rugged northern shore, and the days of sun and wind; And the land of the silver birch, cry of the loon; There’s something ’bout this country, that’s a part of me and you. – from ‘Woodsmoke and Oranges’ by Ian Tamblyn.

The canoe is the most practical, efficient and satisfying way to travel through wild country, particularly on the Canadian Shield, where you can go almost anywhere. I think of that country every day of my life. One of the things I like best about canoe travel is that you are completely self-reliant. There is no dependence on mechanical devices. It is utterly simple. For me, the canoe means complete freedom – the ultimate escape. - Alex Hall

I have always had a desire to explore out-of-way places. Together, the canoe and this country’s many waterways provide the ideal combination. When travelling by canoe you seem to blend in rather than being an intrusion on your surroundings. – John B. Hughes

Ultimately, a paddling trip simplifies life. – Wendy Grater

Canoeing is the best way to become intimate with the land. You can cover so much more territory in a canoe. You don’t need to concentrate on your feet, thereby allowing your eyes to soak up the landscape around you. Travel by canoe is more about the journey than the destination. – Rolf Kraiker

Today, most Canadian canoeing is recreational. Many of us would assert that it is usually meaningful, aesthetically fulfilling and ecologically sensitive recreational canoeing. Admittedly, these modifiers are not present in the highly competitive, highly structured and technically oriented canoe racing sports which tend not to take place in a wilderness environment. But with these large exceptions, canoeing, certainly canoe tripping and lake water canoe cruising, tends to involve in varying degrees a quest for wilderness or at least semi-wilderness. It also involves a search for high adventure or natural tranquility or both. These activities are an integral part of Canadian culture. Bill Mason asserts that the canoe is “the most beautiful work of human beings, the most functional yet aesthetically pleasing object ever created,” and that paddling a canoe is “an art” not a technical achievement. That certainly means culture. - Bruce Hodgins, from Canexus, p.46

It’s pretty hard for me to go more than a few days without getting a paddle wet somewhere. For me, that stepping into the canoe and pushing off is a very special spiritual and physical experience. Bill Mason had it right: it’s like walking on water. It transports you to another way of being, another way of feeling – it restores my soul. – David Finch

I like to encourage people to paddle because it gives them a different way to experience the river, the landscape and…life. – David Finch

It is such a great way to take in a wide range of experiences. When we paddle, the experience of place moves from the brain to the heart, making it a life-forming experience. – Kevin Redmond

Nothing like paddling a canoe to restore the spirit and reconnect with this gorgeous planet that sustains us. - Dalton McGuinty, Ontario premier in twitter to Badger Paddles folks.

Over the weekend I realized what a skilled solo paddler can do – move the canoe sideways, pirouette around the paddle, and turn gracefully with a little forward momentum. Meditation in motion. If whitewater paddling is slam dancing, flatwater paddling is ballet. I had discovered another way to have fun instead of just crossing the lake. - Sheena Masson, from Confessions Of A Know It All Or Why To Take A Clinic in The Canoe In Canadian Cultures by Bruce W. Hodgins, John Jennings, Doreen Small

Dance with the Wilderness by Charles Burchill

Memories of still water Speak to your restless soul Calling you and your silent craft To the rippled reflection of the shore.

Rushing water spills over a ledge Scan for the V to point the way Eddy out and watch the swirl Now ride the wild wave.

Go and Dance Your partner waits.

Ideals by Charles Burchill

Who will speak for us now? Pierre and his canoe have left us. Bill and his Pal are gone. Politics threatens our union. Tell me when will it end.

We believed at Stockholm We believed in Rio. Now Voices from Kyoto fall. Where does it end.

When do we start?

The Spirit by Charles Burchill

The spirit has moved within me and draws me back each year. It calls to me each spring, and every fall it draws a tear.

Every stroke’s a blessing each spring and summer day. Moving forward with my life in such a wondrous way.

How I love the tranquil sound of water rushing by. The quiet laughter on the hull lifts my spirit high.

To paddle with you is a joy; across the lake each fall. Of all the things I keep inside this I tell to all.

Once the spirit finds you your life will be complete. The love of paddle and canoe will keep your soul replete.

And finally these brief thoughts of mine:

Just add water and a canoe….you will find freedom. – Mike Ormsby

There is definitely power in the canoe….may you find a way to experience it for yourself soon.

Paddles up until later then….

Canoe Design And Selection Continued….Length….Beam or Width….Depth….Hull Shape….Keel….Symmetry Etc.

In previous posts I have looked at rocker….and the shape of the sides of the canoe. I concluded the last such post with a great article,  Paddling.net: Guidelines – Choosing the Right Canoe: Shape Matters by Doug Wipper, that looked at these factors plus others (I recommend you review this great article by Doug Wipper). Today I’m going to expand on some of the remaining considerations in selecting a canoe….in considering the design of a canoe. Remember no one canoe can be perfect in doing everything….but if you look at what you need in a canoe, then you may find the perfect canoe for you.

Once again I’ve gone online to look at these factors of canoe design and selection.

First let’s consider the terminology involved:

From Canoeing.com: Canoe Terminology:

Canoe Terminology

Amidships: The center or middle of a canoe.

Beam: The width of the canoe, typically provided in three measurements: waterline, gunwale and maximum width.

Belly: The bottom of the canoe.

Bilge: The point of greatest curvature between the bottom and side of a canoe.

Bow: The front end of the canoe.

Deck: Panels attached to the inwales at the bow and stern ends of the canoe.

Depth: The distance from the top of the gunnels to the bottom of the canoe when measured at the beam (sometimes called center depth, as opposed to the depth at the extreme ends of the canoe).

Draft: The amount of water a canoe draws.

Entry Line: Shape of the bow where it cuts through the water.

Flare: Occurs when the sides of the canoe are wider above the waterline, particularly at or near the gunwales.

Flotation: Buoyant material set into the ends (or other panels) of a canoe to make it float if upset.

Freeboard: Distance between the gunwale and waterline at the lowest point.

Foot-brace: A wood or metal bar against which a paddler braces his or her feet. Foot-braces help secure the paddler in the canoe and so add to the efficiency of his or her strokes.

Fullness: Shape of canoe determined by how quickly the hull widens. A full canoe widens sooner and stays wide longer.

Gunnels: Both outside and inside, top finished edges of a canoe. Also referred to as rails.

Gunwales: Inside and outside top finished edges of a canoe.

Hogged: A canoe with a bent-in keel or keel-line.

Hull: Frame or body of the canoe.

Initial/Primary Stability: Steadiness when upright and paddled under calm conditions.

Inwale: Inside top finished edge of a canoe.

Keel: External ridge along the centerline of the canoe. Can improve tracking and stability.

Keel Line: Centerline of the canoe running from bow to stern along the belly of the canoe.

Outwale: The outside top finished edge of a canoe.

Painters: Ropes attached to the bow and stern of a canoe used for lining or pulling.

Painters ring: Brass ring anchored to the stem or deck of a canoe to attach a rope.

Planking: Lightweight boards nailed to the ribs on wood-canvas canoes. Its main purpose is to support the canvas.

Rails: The gunwales (gunnels) of a canoe.

Ribs: Lateral supports which run at angles to the keel on the inside of a canoe. Ribs provide hull rigidity and structural strength.

Rocker: Indicates curvature of the keel line.

Secondary/Final stability: The resistance to capsizing in wind, waves or lean.

Skid plate: A piece of thick Kevlar that is glued to the bottom ends of a canoe. Prevents abrasion of the skin of the canoe.

Splash skirt/cover: A fitted cover designed to keep water out of a canoe. Splash covers are useful in rough rapids and big waves.

Stems: Finished edge/piece in the bow and stern ends of a canoe.

Stern: The rear end of the canoe.

Thwarts: Crossbars toward the bow and stern of the canoe. Structurally maintains the canoe shape.

Trim: The difference in the draft at the bow from that at the stern of a canoe. A properly trimmed canoe will sit dead level in the water.

Tumblehome: The inward curve of the sides of a canoe above the waterline.

Tracking: The ease with which a canoe can be paddled along a straight line.

Waterline: The place to which water comes on the hull of the canoe when it is set in the water.

Yoke: A strong crossbar in the middle of the canoe designed for carrying the canoe on the shoulders. Often includes two yoke pads for more comfort.

From Webspace.webring.com: Canoes:

Parts of a Canoe

Terms of a Canoe

Choosing a Canoe

Choosing a canoe can be more difficult then it seems.  You have to  choose a canoe with an appropriate length, width (beam) and depth for the  activities you choose.  Add to this the different materials that canoes can be  made from (wood, metal, canvas, plastic, fiberglass, Kevlar and birch bark) and  things become downright confusing.  Here are some tips on picking a canoe:

Pick a purpose – You have to know what you plan on using the canoe  for, before you can pick an appropriate canoe.  A wide, medium-length canoe is  good for general use.  Short, narrow canoes are good for white water.  Long,  wide canoes are good for long trips across gentle water.

Length – canoes range from 3m (10 feet) to over 8m (26 feet).  The  average 2-man canoe usually runs between 3 and 5 meters (10 to 17 feet).   Shorter canoes are good for day trips, whereas longer canoes are good for  extended trips.  Shorter canoes are also more maneuverable, which makes them  appropriate for river and whitewater use.

Width (beam) – Canoes tend to get wider as they get longer, but  for every length of canoe there is a range of widths.  For example the average  4m (14 foot) canoe is available in widths from  80cm to 1m (32 to 38 inches).   Wider canoes will be more stable, but less maneuverable, then narrower  canoes.

Keel Depth – How deep a canoe sits in the water will affect  stability and the use of the canoe.  Canoes that have a deep keel depth will be  more stable, but cannot be used in shallow waters.

From Canoeing.com: Canoe Design:

Basic Characteristics:

Length The distance from the tip of the stern to the tip of the bow, this simple measurement has a big impact on performance. With all else equal, a longer canoe is faster, tracks a straighter line and provides more carrying capacity than a shorter one. The tradeoff is decreased maneuverability: a longer canoe can’t make the tight turns or respond as quickly as some paddling demands. But that doesn’t mean a long canoe will be hard to steer–it just might not be the best choice for things like whitewater. For most uses you may find that the efficiency gained in tracking will outweigh any extra effort required for turning.

Beam Beam, or width, is measured at the widest part of the canoe. Most manufacturers provide three measurements: the gunwale, the waterline and the widest point. The 4” waterline accounts for displacement when fully loaded and tells you the most about performance. A narrow canoe tends to be faster but less stable, whereas a wider canoe provides more stability at the expense of some efficiency.

Depth Also measured in three places–bow, stern and center–depth affects more subtle aspects of paddling. Increasing depth provides more carrying capacity and freeboard, allowing the canoe to paddle through waves with more ease. But it can also make the canoe heavier and less responsive in wind.

Hull Profile:

Flat Bottom These hulls look just like they sound: the canoe’s belly has very little curve, making it highly stable on calm water. This initial stability, however, comes at the expense of secondary stability. Flat bottomed canoes are vulnerable to wind, waves and even leaning. Once initial stability is breached, it’s difficult to avoid capsizing.

Round Bottom Exactly the opposite of the flat bottom, the belly of a round bottom canoe is extremely curved. Built for speed and efficiency, they can be difficult to balance in an upright position–particularly for inexperienced paddlers. In other words, initial stability is poor. In contrast, when leaned on an edge these canoes are hard to tip over. They feel tippy, but they’re hard to tip!

Shallow Arch Designed to give paddlers the stability of a flat hull and the flexibility of a round hull, shallow arches are increasingly popular. Design varies widely with manufacturer. Some err toward initial stability with less arch, and others strive to provide more maneuverability. The result is an impressive selection that promises something for everyone, but it does require research, talking to experts, and even trying canoes out before purchasing.

Shallow Vee Another blend of the flat and round hull, the shallow vee incorporates a v-shape at the bottom of the arch. This creates decent initial and secondary stability, and improved tracking. It does, however, result in a higher surface area in the water, which can make the canoe less efficient.

Keels Not a hull category per se, but important to understand. Keels were originally integrated into canoe designs for structural purposes–to literally help hold the canoe together. Experts disagree on whether keels, in general, have a significant impact on performance but most agree that keels make canoes track better but limit paddling efficiency. There are two types of keels–tee and shoe. Tee keels are best suited for deeper water and lake paddling. Shoe keels were designed with a low profile to slide over rocks found in both shallow and white water and are more commonly used on river tripping canoes.

Entry Line Canoes designed with a sharp entry lines will move with efficiency and speed, whereas canoes designed with blunt entry lines are less efficient but will provide more buoyancy in heavy waves.

Stems Stems create the shape of the bow and stern ends of a canoe and their profiles can be squared or rounded. A squared stem is more forward and almost parallel to the deck where as a rounded stem will come up in a curve to the bow. A square stem improves a canoe’s tracking performance and a rounded stem improves a canoe’s steering and maneuverability.

Fullness A canoe shape or design, as measured from the bow, that reaches fullness quickly will provide more carrying capacity and stability. However, if the fullness is reached slowly, the canoe has been designed for speed; giving way capacity and stability.

Symmetry Canoes are design to be either symmetrical–having identical halves with the widest point being at the center, or asymmetrical–with a longer narrower bow and a shorter, more blunt stern. The widest point on a asymmetrical canoe is aft of center.

From Old Town Canoes: Canoe Anatomy – Size & Cross Section:

Length

Longer canoes will have greater hull speed, better tracking and greater potential for carrying capacity. Shorter canoes will be more maneuver

Width

Width, or beam, as it is called, is given in two measurements: the beam at the gunwale and the beam at the 4″ waterline. The 4″ waterline beam has the greatest influence on performance. Wide-beamed canoes offer great stability but may be somewhat slow. Narrow canoes may be less stable but afford better efficiency and hull speed.

Depth

Greater depth allows for increased carrying capacity and better water-shedding ability. However, deep canoes can be harder to handle in windy conditions and will be heavier. The shape of the bottom of the canoe and how it blends with the sides will influence its performance. Stability of a canoe is affected greatly by its cross section.

Entry Lines

The shape of the bow where it cuts the water will have an effect on the canoe’s performance. A very sharp, knife-like entry will cut through the water easily and provide efficiency. A blunt bow will add fullness and give buoyancy in waves, thus a drier ride.

Symmetry

Symmetrical canoes have identical ends, bow and stern. They offer more-versatile designs and convert more readily from tandem to solo. Asymmetrical canoes are usually designed for a particular specialty.

Flat bottom

Flat bottom canoes offer great initial stability; that is, they feel very secure on calm water. Flat bottom canoes are great for sportsmen and general recreationalists looking for steadiness.

Shallow arch bottom

Shallow arch bottom canoes have less initial stability than flat bottom canoes, but good secondary stability. As the canoe is leaned, it will balance on its side and resist further tipping. Shallow arch canoes work well in waves and whitewater. Shallow arch bottom canoes offer the best all-around performance.

Round bottom

Round bottom canoes have very little initial stability, but may have good or even great secondary stability. They are designed for speed and efficiency. Round bottom canoes are usually fast, specialized canoes.

Keels

A keel will help tracking in short canoes and will help the canoe’s resistance to crosswinds. Keels also work well on canoes used with outboard or electric motors, as they decrease sideslipping. They would not be appropriate on a canoe used in whitewater or situations where quick maneuvers are essential.

From Langford Tutorials: Canoes:

FLAT BOTTOM

Typical for bargain hulls. Poor surface to volume ratio. Steady if level on flat water but poor response when leaned or on waves.

SHALLOW ARCH

Common to sophisticated hulls. Performs very well due to good surface to volume ratio. Excellent response if leaned or on waves.

SHALLOW VEE

Handles like an arch but is less efficient due to less favourable surface to volume ratio. Rides deeper than an arch and may snag on rocks.

ROUND BOTTOM

Very rare. Seen only on hulls for flatwater racing. Very fast due to excellent surface to volume ratio. Tricky to balance in all conditions.

KEEL LINE

is the shape of the hull bottom from bow to stern.

A straight line keeps the canoe on track, but restricts turning. “Rocker” is the upward curvature of the keel line towards the ends, which allows for ease in pivoting, thereby enhancing the canoe’s maneuverability, at the expense of tracking and speed. Thus, a Straight Keel Line or Slight Rocker is best for big lakes and calm rivers, while a Moderate Rocker gives the best “all round performance”, speed and tracking balanced with turning ability, for those narrow, more challenging streams – a superbly versatile canoe. Heavy Rocker is best suited for white water canoeing where quick turning is imperative.

MYTH

“…a keel determines how well a canoe tracks”. In fact, it is the total hull design which determines this fact, and Langford’s canoes do not have keels because our integral hull design is smooth and efficient, with the added bonus of not having a keel to “foul” on obstacles underwater. Most Langford Canoes boast shallow arch hull design, ensuring good tracking ability, seaworthiness, stability, and ease of handling, based on the rocker accorded each model. Keels are seen today on canoes to add strength, so the hull will not flex. These are older or less efficient designs.

SYMMETRY

A Symmetrical Canoe has identically shaped halves, the widest point being at the centre. This makes for predictable behaviour, such as maneuvering in small rivers and streams. Normally, initial stability is better in symmetrical canoes, and these models lend themselves to fishing, photography, and active occupants, such as children, and lake travel especially when loaded (when loaded equally a Symmetrical Langford will outpace most competitors Asymmetrical canoes) An Asymmetrical Canoe has its widest point aft of centre. This provides a longer, narrower bow and a shorter, more blunted stern. If built properly this should mean easier and faster acceleration, greater glide and tracking ability, and comparable stability depending on load. Asymmetrical designs contrary to what most sales literature suggests reach load limits quickly and are more prone to the adverse effects created by weight. Always test paddle and choose carefully, do not fall victim to tainted or vested interest based descriptions of function or base decisions on measurements alone.

From Nova Craft: Canoe Purchase:

Considerations to take when purchasing a canoe.

Canoe selection is based around the primary usage of the canoe. The following characteristics, materials and features should be considered.

The shape of the bottom of the hull affects primary and secondary stability, with a flatter bottom allowing more primary stability and less secondary stability. Inversely, a more rounded bottom provides less primary and more secondary stability.

Rocker refers to the degree of curve in the hull from bow to stern. The more rocker a canoe has the more manoeuvrable it is, but this detracts from the tracking and speed of the canoe. A canoe with a lot of rocker is best suited for use in moving water due to the necessity of manoeuvrability, while a canoe with little to no rocker is better suited for flat water due to its enhanced tracking and speed capabilities.

Length is a key consideration when purchasing a canoe. Longer canoes offer better tracking and a faster hull speed. Shorter canoes are better where manoeuvrability is key.

The width of the canoe influences stability and efficiency. A wider canoe will provide a more balanced feel, but sacrifices some of the speed capabilities. A narrower canoe provides better speed with a less balanced feel.

The depth of a canoe influences carrying capacity as well as comfort level. A deeper canoe will keep the user drier and increase carrying capacity while lengthening the reach the user must take to paddle efficiently. Shallower canoes tend to be less effected by wind but offer less protection from water.

Asymmetrical hulls differ in shape from front half to back half. Symmetrical hulls have identical front and back sections. Asymmetrical hulls have finer bows and are wider towards the rear of the canoe allowing for better speed. Symmetrical hulls allow the user to paddle them forwards or backwards making them ideal for solo users.

Keels are structural members that assist in tracking. Some users find that this provides a minor hazard as the protruding keel can come into contact with obstacles in the water and offset the track of the canoe. Canoes with keels tend to be of lighter weight due to less material being required to support the hull. Canoes lacking keels require slightly more material for hull support, adding to the weight of the canoe.

From EarthEasy.com: Canoe:

Length: As a general rule, longer canoes move faster through the water. Longer hulls track better (hold their straight line course), and have greater carrying capacity. Shorter hulls tend to be more maneuverable and lighter in weight.

Beam: The width of the boat at its widest point. Wider canoes offer more stability and more room for cargo, but as the beam increases, the boat will be slower moving through the water. Narrow beam canoes are faster, but less stable.

Depth: Other things being equal, the deeper the canoe, the drier it will run in rough water. Greater depth also increases cargo space. Deeper canoes are heavier, though, and can be pushed around more easily by the wind.

Bow Shape: Blunt, fuller bow shapes offer more buoyancy and help to shed the splashes when paddling through choppy water. They also provide a bit more room for lightweight items. Canoes with finer, thinner bow shapes cut through the water more easily.

Keel: External keels will help the canoe track better, but can also be a hazard. It can catch on obstacles in the water and upset the boat. A good hull design can offset the need for an external keel.

Bottom Shape: The shape of the bottom has a lot to do with the stability of your canoe. There are three basic bottom shapes: Flat, Round and Vee.

Flat: This design has good stability when you first step in and paddlein calm waters (initial stability). It is not as stable in rougher water or when leaned over to one side (final stability). Good for beginners, and calm waters.

Round: May feel a little shaky when you first step in, but with experience feels most stable in most waters. High final stability, and also easier to propel through the water.

Vee: Offers a compromise between Flat and Round bottom designs. With a little practice, this design offers good all-around performance.

From top to bottom: Flat; Round; and Vee.

From  Mountain Equipment Co-op: Canoes::

Beam

The beam is a canoe’s width, measured at the widest point of the boat. Everything else being equal, a wider hull is roomier and more stable but slower than a narrower one. Wider hulls are more manoeuvrable because they sit higher in the water, although this is a mixed blessing since the boat may be blown about more by the wind.

Length

Other things being equal, a longer boat is faster and tracks (goes in a straight line) better than a shorter one. Touring canoes are generally longer for speed and efficiency, while whitewater canoes are shorter so that they can be turned quickly and easily.

Keel

A keel is a seam-like strip running lengthwise down the middle of the canoe’s bottom. A keel improves tracking (travel in a straight line), minimizes sideways drift caused by wind, provides some protection against abrasion, and stiffens the hull.

In whitewater, a keeled canoe’s resistance to turning or being drawn sideways may not be a good thing. A keel can also interfere with a canoe’s ability to slide smoothly down the face of larger waves coming from the side. In addition, it can catch on rocks in running water, increasing the risk of capsizing.

From Wild Rock Outfitters: Choosing a Canoe:

Length, width and depth have the most effect on a canoe’s overall performance. These 3 measurements help determine the best use and the carrying capacity of a particular canoe.

Length Once you get them up to speed, longer canoes are easier to paddle over long distances. They also stay on course better and hold more gear. Shorter boats weigh less, are less affected by winds and are easier to maneuver and transport. They can take you places larger boats don’t fit, such as narrow streams and inlets. Canoes in the 16 foot to 17 foot range are among the most popular. They offer a great combination of speed, manageability and carrying capacity. For long touring trips, consider a boat at least 17 feet long for greater stability.

Width (Beam) In general, the wider the boat, the more stable. The narrower the boat, the more efficient and easier the paddling. Narrow boats are slightly more “tippy”, but they tend to be lighter and easier to keep on a steady track.

Depth Depth is the distance between a canoe’s gunwales (side rails) and the bottom of the boat. Deep boats have tall sides, which help keep water out while increasing carrying capacity. The taller the sides, though, the more the canoe will be affected by wind. Shallow canoes are less susceptible to wind, but are more apt to let water in.

The shape of the hull and other design features can affect the stability and maneuverability of a boat in the water. Stability is divided into 2 types. “Initial stability” means the boat is stable when resting flat on the water. “Secondary stability” means the boat resists tipping in rough water.

Hull Shape There are 4 general hull shapes to consider, but the differences can be subtle, so it’s often hard to categorize a boat.

Flat canoe bottoms provide excellent initial stability. They’re perfect for flatwater paddling and general canoeing fun. Flat-bottom boats tend to turn easily (since very little of the hull is below the water line), but they can be slow when fully loaded with gear.

Canoes with rounded bottoms provide little initial stability, but they offer excellent secondary stability. They’re slow to tip over in rough conditions. Rounded hulls are designed for speed and efficiency through the water. They are usually found on specialized, high-performance canoes.

Shallow-arch bottoms provide a compromise between flat and rounded bottoms. They offer decent initial stability and very good secondary stability. They’re more efficient through the water than flat-bottom boats, and they stay on track better.

V-bottom hulls have a slightly more pronounced centerline or “keel” than shallow-arch hulls. They provide a good mix of initial and secondary stability, with even better tracking and maneuverability than shallow-arch boats.

Freeboard Freeboard is the distance between a canoe’s gunwales (side rails) and the water line. A higher freeboard keeps you drier in wind and waves, but makes you more vulnerable to side winds. Lower freeboard has the opposite effect.

Entry Line The shape of a canoe’s hull where it cuts through the water is called its entry line. Sharp entry lines slice through the water efficiently for better speed and easier paddling. Blunt bows ride up slightly on incoming waves to keep water from slipping over the gunwales — perfect for rough-water paddling.

From Frontenac Outfitters: Canoe Choices:

Canoe Length: Given two canoes of equal width, a longer canoe will have greater speed, increased capacity, and will track (go staright) better. Short canoes in the 15 foot range although slower, are more maneuverable, lighter, less expensive, easier to transport, and are wonderful for day use and short overnight trips. Large canoes 17 to 18 foot range are used for extended excursions, or for large families due to their increased capacity. The most popular Canadian canoe length is 16′ to 16.5′. This midsize length offers both recreational paddlers and trippers a good compromise of speed, manuverability, capacity, weight and price.

Canoe Width: The primary function of width is stability. The wider the canoe the more stable it is. Narrow canoes tend to be less stable but more efficient as there hulls push less water. Most tandem Canadian canoes are 33″ to 36″ wide with 36″ being the norm, while most solo canoes will average 28″ to 33″ in width.

Canoe Depth: Is measured at the centreline from the gunnel to the bottom of the boat. It is important to have a canoe with sufficient depth for carrying capacity and safety reasons. A deeper canoe will deflect spray and waves better, but may be more susceptible to cross winds. A depth of 13″ to 14″ is common in quality recreational & good tripping canoes. White water canoes may be as deep as 16″. Shorter day tripping canoes and solo canoes may be as shallow as 12″.

Canoe Symmetry: Is the overall shape of the canoe from front to back. The hull of a symmetrical/ traditional canoe has identically shaped halves with the widest point at the centre. Symmetrical canoes maneuver quicker and provides a more predictable behavior in white water conditions, or paddling narrow rivers and streams. An Asymmetrical/ modern canoe has a longer streamlined bow with the widest point a foot or so behind centre. Asymmetrical canoes tend to be faster more efficient and track better. Flat-water paddlers looking for efficiency often choose asymmetrical canoes.

Canoe Entry Lines: Entry lines of a canoes bow and stern are usually described as narrow or full. Canoes with narrow lines are usually fast, efficient and tend to cut through the waves rather than ride over them. Canoes with a blunt or wider bow and stern will be slower but will handle waves and rapids more effectively.

Canoe Hull Shapes: Flat bottom canoes have the greatest wetted surface and most initial stability when paddling in calm water. However when leaned, or in rough water, a flat bottom canoe quickly becomes less stable, and can flip with little warning. Flat bottom hulls generally best suit beginners, fisherman and day paddlers with young children and/or pets.

Round and Vee bottom canoes have the least wetted surface therefore feel less stable initially in calm water. However, they provide the most secondary stability to resist tipping when leaned, or in rough water conditions. Round or Vee bottom hulls are generally fast, efficient and best suit experienced paddlers or those aspiring to be.

Shallow Arch bottom canoes are a good compromise of the two hull shapes mentioned above providing a good blend of both initial and secondary stability. Shallow arch hulls generally suit a wide range of skill levels for paddlers who want one canoe with good all-round performance.

Canoes – to Keel or Not to Keel: Canoes with Keels tend to enable the canoe to track better and will help the canoes resistance to side slipping in crosswinds, as well as provide added hull protection.

Keeless canoes turn more quickly but dont track as well. Beginners, fisherman, families with children like the user-friendly feel of keels. Experienced and whitewater paddlers tend to prefer the manuverability a keeless canoe provides.

Generally speaking, as the user skills increase the need for a keel decrease. For example: Vee hull canoes are keeless, but a good paddler can make a vee-hull bite the water much like a keeled boat.

Canoe Stem Shape: The profile of the bow or stern as seen from the side is called the stem. There are 3 - basic stem shapes: Plumb (vertical), Raked (slanted), or Re-curved. Each shape has its own advantages. A plumbs design maximizes hull speed. A Raked stem provides more volume in the ends for drier handling in waves. A Re-curved stem provides a traditional look and enables the canoe to turn quicker.

A Canoes Carrying Capacity: Is the amount of weight (people and gear) a canoe can hold while still providing “optimum performance”, and retaining at least six inches of freeboard for safety reasons. Note: unfortunately, most manufacturers vastly overstate capacity by listing weights 100s of pounds to high. Accordingly we suggest you use our Frontenac Outfitters listed weights, or better yet, you paddle the canoes and YOU determine which boats meet YOUR capacity needs.

Canoe Weights: Weights vary dramatically with the materials used in the manufacturing process. To determine the best choice for your paddling needs, please refer to our “Canoe Materials & Choices” article.

IS THERE A PERFECT CANOE? Of course not, by now you have already guessed that a canoe designed to excel in one area must compromise its performance in another.

From Wenonah Canoes: Design:

DIMENSIONS

LENGTH

Longer canoes track straighter, travel faster, and glide farther. They also hold more and perform better when loaded. Shorter canoes turn easily and are great for paddling on tight streams. Even a 6-inch difference in length can make a dramatic difference in canoe performance.

DEPTH

Adding depth to the center of the hull creates more freeboard, which adds capacity and seaworthiness. Adding depth to the bow or stern helps to fend off waves or spray.

WIDTH

A wider hull has a higher initial stability, but requires more effort to paddle. A narrow hull requires less effort to paddle, but has less initial stability. Width also increases capacity, although not as much as length.

FLAT BOTTOM

Typical for bargain canoes. Flat-bottomed hulls have initial stability, but are unpredictable on waves or if leaned beyond a critical angle.

SHALLOW ARCH

Characteristic of well-designed hulls. Good initial and final stability. Predictable and responsive when leaned or on waves.

SHALLOW “V”

Shaped with a ridge in the center, like a keel. Stable but rides deeper and is less efficient than a shallow arch. May snag on rocks.

ROUND BOTTOM

Extremely rare, used only on canoes for calm-water racing. Very fast, but has no initial stability at all and is tricky to balance.

So there is an overview of some more of the factors involved in the design and the selection of canoes.

Paddles up until later then…..and once again, I am really not off my rocker….and I won’t take sides….although I have gone to great lengths, trying to get to the bottom of this……..getting as indepth as much as possible….covering the entire width of the matter….OK OK that is enough of that LOL LOL.

Flared or Straight or Tumblehome???? Which Side Do You Take In Your Canoe????

Continuing the discussion of canoe design, let’s consider the various shapes of the sides of a canoe. Again I turn to various online sources:

From EarthEasy.com: Canoe:

Sides: The angle of the canoe sides affects stability, dryness and ease of paddling. The three basic side profiles are: Flared, Straight and Tumblehome.

Flared: This design is more stable and drier because it pushes the water away from the boat. It is a little harder to paddle because you have to reach out a bit further with each stroke.

Straight: A nice compromise between flared and tumblehome, this design offers reasonable stability, dryness and ease of paddling.

Tumblehome: Because the sides curve in with this design, you don’t have to reach over as far to paddle. This design is not as stable or as dry, and requires more skill to take advantage of the design feature.

From top to bottom: Flared; Straight; Tumblehome.

From OverlandResource.com:Canoe Hull Design:

Tumblehome

Tumblehome refers to the angle of the sides of the canoe at the midpoint. A canoe with completely vertical sides has no tumblehome. If the sides slope outward from the centre you have flare. If the sides are rounded so that the upper parts of the sides slope inward toward the centreline, you have tumblehome. Tumblehome is built into a canoe for the purposes of manoeuvrability and wave resistance. The solo canoeist kneels just aft of mid-ship, but to the side the paddle is working. This puts the canoe on a serious list. A canoe with adequate tumblehome, though it is seriously leaning over, still presents a vertical side to the oncoming waves, and the buoyancy centre is directly underneath the paddler’s weight. With no tumblehome, you might be able to stay dry, as most slop will bounce downward, but the canoe will be less stable. A canoe with flared sides is most likely to welcome relatively small waves, motorboat wakes, and unexpected belches from the Loch Ness monster right into your canoe.

These are exaggerated cross-sections, to show you what you are looking for. If you know you will never be alone in a canoe, the issue of using it on a list is not as pressing; however, if there is a big weight differential between the stern paddler and the bow paddler (the stern paddler must be the heavier, or you will have unbelievable steering and stability challenges!) then you will find some tendency to lean the canoe slightly, and having that vertical side to present to the wave is important.

Some canoes with good tumblehome are designed with a ridge along the sides, offering something of a “keel” when the canoe is on a list.

From Old Town Canoes: Canoe Anatomy – Size & Cross Section:

Flare, Tumblehome, Straight-sided

Design options for the sides of the canoe include flare, tumblehome or straight-sided. Flare will shed water and increase secondary stability. Tumblehome gives a narrower beam at the gunwale, which allows for easier paddling. Depending on where, with reference to the waterline, the tumblehome begins, this may decrease stability, (historically this feature began at the waterline, decreasing stability, hence itÕs name “tumblehome”, in general, tumblehome on our boats begins at least 4″ above the waterline at maximum capacity so as not to detract from stability). Straight-sided canoes are a compromise of the two. Many canoes will incorporate one, two or all three of these in different areas of the hull.

From Canoeing.com: Canoe Design:

Canoe Profile: For more subtle indications of a canoe’s personality, look to the shape of its sides.

Flare If they flare out above the waterline, they will resist tipping and deflect water for a drier ride. Some paddlers find flared canoes uncomfortable to paddle because it requires reaching out over the side of the canoe.

Tumblehome If ease and stroke perfection are required, such as in racing, a canoe may have tumblehome, with the gunwale width smaller than the waterline width. These canoes don’t deflect water but are easier to paddle.

Straight Side Design is not limited to flare or tumblehome. Some have straight sides, which provide no particular benefit or limitation, and others combine both in the same watercraft.

From Mountain Equipment Co-op: Canoes:

Flare or Tumblehome

A boat with its maximum width well above the waterline is flared. Flared canoes require a longer reach with the paddle but keep you drier. Conversely, a canoe with a lot of tumblehome (inwardly curved sides) is easier to paddle, especially solo, but not as dry inboard.

From Langford Tutorials: Canoes:

Above The Waterline

The sides of a canoe can vary above the waterline, from flared, to straight, to tumblehome (where the side actually curves back inwards before it reaches the gunwale). Flared sides keep water from rolling into the canoe as it travels through waves. Tumblehome allows paddlers better access to the water as the paddle can be positioned parallel to the keel line for an efficient paddle stroke. Many canoes combine these two shapes.

So what is this thing called ‘tumblehome’????

From Answers.com: Definition of Tumblehome:

(tŭm’bəl-hōm’): n. The inward curve of a ship’s topsides.

….In ship designing, the tumblehome is the narrowing of a ship’s hull with greater distance above the water-line. Expressed more technically, it is present when the beam at the uppermost deck is less than the maximum beam of the vessel….

….A degree of tumblehome also facilitates paddling in a canoe or kayak (Mather, Fredric G., The Evolution of Canoeing 1885), while a greater degree of flare (its opposite) accommodates more cargo (Vaillancourt, Henri, Traditional Birchbark Canoes Built in the Malecite, Penobscot and Passamaquoddy Style)….

From Traditional Birchbark Canoes Built in the Malecite, Penobscot and Passamaquoddy Style – Henri Vaillancourt:

St. Lawrence River Malecite birch bark canoe with flare sides

Old style Malecite birch bark canoe with tumblehome sides

From Selway Fisher Design: Choosing An Open Canoe:

A hull section which has ‘tumblehome’ is very stable as the maximum beam is not at the gunwale but low down at the waterline.

From McCurdy and Reed Canoes: Construction:

From Canadian Canoe Routes: Canoe Info – Canoe Shape:

Tumblehome and Bottom Shape

Tumblehome refers to the amount a canoe narrows from the widest dimension as it approaches the gunwales. A boat with tumblehome is narrower at the gunwales than at its widest part below – it “bulges” a bit at the centre. A canoe with no tumblehome is basically a rounded or slightly vee’d shape. The widest part of the canoe is at the gunwale line. What’s the difference?  Tumblehome is often added to make it easier to paddle a canoe – a narrower width means the paddler doesn’t have to reach out as far.

To understand the disadvantage of tumblehome, we have to understand the concepts of initial and final stability.

Initial stability is how stable a boat feels at rest, when it is sitting flat in calm water.  A flat-bottomed boat has the highest initial stability and a round boat has the least.  A round bottomed boat feels like trying to sit on a log or a steel drum in the water.  It rotates easily, resulting in a less-stable feel to the boat.

Secondary stability refers to the stability experienced (or not) as the boat is leaned or heeled over to the side.  As a canoe is leaned this way, it may become more or less stable, depending on the shape.  A canoe that increases in stability is one with high final stability.  One that doesn’t has low secondary or final stability.

So what does this have to do with tumblehome?  Picture a canoe with a rounded or vee shape.  As it is leaned, it displaces more water.  The more it leans, the more water it has to displace, so it becomes increasingly difficult to tip.  It has high final stability.

A canoe with tumblehome has increasing stability as it approaches the widest part (the bulge) but once it leans beyond this point (into the tumblehome) it gets suddenly easier to lean.  This low final stability can result in some sudden and surprising action.

In general, a boat with tumblehome probably has a flatter bottom and feels much more stable in calm water. A boat with a rounded bottom has a sensitive, tippy feel.

Great – what does this mean to us? It means that although a flatter boat will feel more comfortable at first, it can end up surprising us in rough conditions. A round or vee bottomed canoe may take a bit of getting used to, but it will be more forgiving when we hit the waves and rapids. Not that we should eliminate canoes with flat bottoms – if we do primarily flatwater tripping, this shape will do just fine.

From Free Library: Buying Used Canoe Made Easy

Watch the Tumblehome. Tumblehomes are the curves at the sides of the canoe that give extra strength to the canoe, especially when you consider the rather insipid strength of usual canoe building materials. Tumblehomes make paddling easier since it gives you good position to paddle. However, too much tumblehome can cause the canoe to capsize.

If you plan to go to deep waters avoid too much tumblehome. It may make your canoe hard to stabilize.

From eHow: How To Choose A Canoe:

Examine the tumblehome on the canoe. Tumblehome is the curvature of the sides of the canoe, used to give flimsy construction materials extra strength. Tumblehome makes it easier to paddle, as the paddler doesn’t have to reach as far, but too much tumblehome can make your canoe easily capsize. If you plan to take your canoe in the ocean or rough water, avoid too much tumblehome.

From BoatDesign.net: Advantages of Tumblehome:

(NOTE: Some of the following discussion involves sail boats as opposed to canoes.)

…..one of the advantages of tumblehome is that the center of gravity is lower than in a design where the maximum beam is at the deck. This, of course, is assuming the depths are similar. Tumblehome also has a more even stability curve….

….there are several advantages to tumblehome: as already mentioned, it reduces inverse stability; it allows outboard shrouds to be moved in relative to overall beam and thereby reduces sheeting angles; since a curved panel is stronger than a flat one for a given scantling, one can achieve greater strength with less displacement. The disadvantages are reduction in side deck area and a slight increase in tooling costs….

….try this experiment to see how tumblehome works as opposed to a beamy boat with extreme flare. Take a ball and tape a weigh on one spot. Now float the ball and try to make the ballast stay on top. Next take a piece of board, foam or anything flat and put the same weight on one side. It will float with either side up. These represent both extremes….

Also from BoatDesign: Purpose of Tumblehome:

The piroque VS the canoe. Stand or stumble to the edge of a canoe & after a brief “tip” the canoe will recover. Do the same in the Piroque & the gunnel goes under water & you sink. People fall “out” of canoes, they “sink” in piroques. Canoes have a tumblehome. Dats all I know!

From Canoe & Kayak: Basics of Buying a Canoe:

Tumblehome refers to the way some canoes bulge below the gunwales. Like rocker, the amount varies from canoe to canoe. Tumblehome adds stability while still allowing a paddler to take efficient vertical strokes. It can also aid in making turns when the boat is leaned sharply. The transition between the bottom and sides is called “chine,” and it can be “hard” and abrupt (giving a more “edgy” performance) or “soft” and smooth. Together, chine and tumblehome affect many factors, including turning and “secondary stability,” or how the boat handles when leaned.

From Paddling.net: Naming The Parts:

Now look at the cross-section—the sketch that shows you what you’d see if you cut a canoe in half. (Don’t try this with your boat!) You’ll notice the term tumblehome. No, it’s not what the jolly voyageurs did when they’d drunk too much double-distilled rum. Tumblehome refers to the inward slope of the sides of the canoe, up near the boat’s gunwale, or top rail. The gunwale—it’s pronounced “gunnel,” by the way—also acts as a structural support, just like the thwarts. It defines the shape of the boat, in other words, and it helps hold that shape under stress.

Not all canoes have tumblehome. Some have sides that slope outward. This is called flare. And some are straight up and down. (A few sophisticated canoes have flare, tumblehome, and straight sides in different places along their hulls. Isn’t fiberglass wonderful?)

From Frontenac Outfitters: Canoe Choices:

Canoe Shape above the Water Line: The sides of a canoe above the waterline also impact performance. Flared sides shed water away from the canoe, while tumblehome provides a narrow beam at the gunnels allowing the paddler easier access to the water. Straight-sided canoes are a compromise of the two. Some canoes may combine a number of these shapes.

From Wild Rock Outfitters: Choosing a Canoe:

Side Shape Canoe sides that flare out shed waves and enhance stability when paddling with heavy loads. Inward curving “tumblehome” sides make it easier to reach the water, but they can let water in when paddling in rough waves. Canoes with a lot of tumblehome have less secondary stability. Straight canoe sides offer a compromise between these two styles.

From GORP.com: How to Choose a Canoe – A Primer on Modern Canoe Design:

Tumblehome

The inward curve of the sides of some canoes is called tumblehome. It’s used for two reasons:

1.Floppy materials like sheet aluminum need some curvature for strength. The alternative to tumblehome may be more ribs, hence more weight.

2.Tumblehome reduces the width of the canoe at the gunnels. Thus, you don’t have to reach so far over the sides to paddle.

Tumblehome is used in varying degrees on some of the most sophisticated canoes. But when you wrap a tight bilge curve you sacrifice seaworthiness. A very skilled canoeist can bring a highly tumblehomed boat through some awesome pitches. The variable here is called SKILL — something too seldom mentioned nowadays. However, even experts agree that minimal tumblehome, or better some flare, is a much more seaworthy and predictable configuration.

Rule: Avoid extreme tumblehome if you want a seaworthy canoe. Many flat-out race designs utilize excessive tumblehome for comfort of the paddlers; but these boats are not forgiving and should be avoided by all but highly skilled paddlers.

I’ll close with an article from Paddling.net….it covers many of the points discussed in this blog post and the previous one on rocker….plus discusses other factors in canoe shapes that we have yet to discuss, but will be shortly….

Check out Paddling.net: Guidelines – Choosing the Right Canoe: Shape Matters by Doug Wipper :

Choosing the Right Canoe

Shape Matters

By Doug Wipper

The flatter the bottom, the more primary stability (steady when flat) the canoe has, but you give up some hull speed. The more rounded the bottom, the less initial stability but the swifter the hull. Flat-bottomed hulls are used in sport and cottage-type canoe hulls because their stability makes them good for fishing and for novice paddlers. A moderately rounded bottom is more maneuverable and capable of better speed; it is used in touring and expedition canoe hulls.

Lake canoes should have a keel or v-bottom to help the canoe track and river canoes should not have a keel, for maneuverability. Tumblehome (the width between the gunwales is less than the overall width of the canoe) allows the canoe to be paddled without giving up hull displacement — which determines weight-carrying capacity (burden). The greater the displacement, the greater the carrying capacity. Tumblehome is often achieved in whitewater playboats by using a gunwale tuck (a method of molding materials such as Royalex to create tumblehome).

Secondary stability (the canoe gains stability as it is heeled over) is created by flaring the sides of the midsections. This allows the paddler to heel the canoe over to carve turns — which is important for whitewater boats. Tumblehome is also found in some recreational hulls.

Rocker is the amount the hull curves from bow to stern. Rocker slows hull speed and decreases the accommodation of large payloads. Lake and touring canoes should have conservative amounts of rocker to increase hull speed. It is not critical for river hulls to be fast but it is important that they have rocker for maneuverability (5 – 6″ is good for a 16-foot whitewater canoe).Touring and expedition canoes should have some rocker as well (2″ is good for a l6- or l7-foot canoe). When choosing a touring, expedition, or sport canoe that will be paddled tandem and solo, look for a symmetrical hull (the shape of the canoe is identical fore and aft).

The bow is what cleaves the water, so it is important that the shape suits the use. Whitewater boats need high volume bows and sterns for buoyancy — assuring their ability to go over large waves and giving the canoe more buoyancy over shorter lengths. More rounded ends in whitewater playboats make it easier to change direction in upstream maneuvers as well. Touring and expedition canoe hulls need to take lake waves (and moderate whitewater) and still have good hull speed. This is achieved by shaping the bow and stern with a slight flare to direct water away. The bow and stern should have low enough volume, however, to cleave waves easily

“Douglas Wipper, a former director of the National Canoeing Schools of Canada, is the director of the Steamboat Springs Canoeing School in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. He has instructed canoeing for universities and private camps for more than 30 years.”

(NOTE: Doug Wipper is the son of Kirk Wipper.)

When this was originally posted a good point by Mike Elliott was made on the Chestnut Prospector having all three (tumblehome, flared and straight) involved in construction….and I believe this may be true for other canoe models too:

It seems to me that most discussions around hull design and tumblehome assume that the hull shape is consistent throughout the entire length of the canoe.  Certainly, some canoes are designed this way.  However, you can find all three shapes (tumblehome, straight sides and flared sides) in the hull of a Chestnut Prospector — depending on where in the canoe you happen to be.  About 4′ back from the ends, just where waves would break, the sides are flared and kick water away from the canoe.  In the centre, there is tumblehome which makes solo paddling a dream — not to mention beautiful eddy turns in a rapid river.

Paddles up until later then….and hopefully you’ll find a side to take in your canoe too….even if it is some sort of compromise….and involves each side (but then isn’t that true in most compromises LOL LOL).

Am I Off My Rocker?

As usual my thoughts are on canoes and canoeing….some might even think I’m off my rocker!!!! (perhaps I am a little off centre LOL LOL)….but I must admit I’m thinking of ‘rocker’ but not in the case of one’s sanity….but of a canoe (what else LOL LOL)….

There was an online discussion at the SoloTripping forum on How Is Rocker Measured. This led to an article on the BoatDesign.net online forum, Measurement Of Rocker, which contained these comments:

….It is often stated “this canoe has less/more rocker so it will be better in these conditions”….

….Rocker, similiar to deadrise, is usualy measured in inches (or cm) from the lowest part of the main hull shell (i.e. exclusive of keel structure) to the “turn” of the profile or the waterline….

….So if the canoe is said to have 2″ of rocker, that means that the line of the keel springs 2″ between the forefoot/transom and the lowest part of the hull along the centerline…..

….Also note….that comparison of rocker is relative. A 10′ hull and a 20′ hull could both be said to have 2″ of rocker, but the 10′ hull would be said to have more rocker because it has more spring for its length…..

….Rocker is one of those things like the proper sweep of a sheerline, you know it when you see it. There is no definite measurement of it….

….Rocker is put into a basic hullform for 2 main reasons. First is to improve turning ability by reducing and concentrating the submerged profile towards the center of mass. The second reason is to manage the placement of the center of submerged volume. This is important in making an burdensome but easily driven hull. Either of these two factors can be managed by other means, so a boat with more rocker does not always mean better handling or lower resistance. The other thing is that rocker measured at the bow and at the stern may be different, however this is not usually the case for canoes and kayaks (not sure about dugouts though)….

….It is possible to define rocker in terms of rise/keel length or rise/maximum hull depth but these type of measurements really have little information in them without a visual of the hullform….

So what is ‘rocker’????

From Canoe Design:

Rocker Heavy, moderate or straight line–a canoe with a lot of rocker will act shorter because less of its belly actually sits in the water. This means it will have increased maneuverability but will not track well. Canoes designed with moderate rocker will turn easily and track well. And, straight line canoes haves no rocker, track extremely well but lack maneuverability.

From Ozark Canoes, Canoe Terms:

Canoe Rocker – Curve from front to back as it sits on a flat plane or floor.  A lot of rocker has a “rocking chair curve” from front to back, and no rocker has “no rocking chair curve”.  The more rocker the easier to steer, but can make the boat wander.  The less rocker the harder it is to bring the boat around, wider turning radius per effort, but tracks straighter with the long contact in the water from front to back.  This is important in selection for control.

From Nova Craft Canoes: Considerations To Take When Purchasing A Canoe:

Rocker refers to the degree of curve in the hull from bow to stern. The more rocker a canoe has the more manoeuvrable it is, but this detracts from the tracking and speed of the canoe. A canoe with a lot of rocker is best suited for use in moving water due to the necessity of manoeuvrability, while a canoe with little to no rocker is better suited for flat water due to its enhanced tracking and speed capabilities.

From Wikipedia: Canoe:

Rocker

Curvature of the hull profile that rises up at the bow and stern is called “rocker”. Increasing the rocker improves maneuverability at the expense of tracking (the hull’s tendency to travel a straight line without the need for constant course correction). Specialized canoes for whitewater play have an extreme rocker and therefore allow quick turns and tricks. Increased rocker also tends to increase the stability of a canoe; by lifting the ends of the craft out of the water, rocker puts more of the wider, center section of the boat into the water, contributing significantly to the overall stability of the craft. A 35 millimeters (1.4 in) rocker at each end suffices to make a substantial difference to how safe a novice will feel in a canoe.

A more visual description is found at Red Rock Store: Canoe Shop – Definitions:

Also from Red Rock Store: Canoe Handling Characteristics:

ROCKER

Canoes need a bit of rocker and a few other details to be effective, safe, watercraft. A rockerless canoe is ALWAYS a flatwater racing design, period. Rockerless canoes go a bit faster – not a lot faster – than canoes with some rocker. Whitewater canoes like the Prospector hull design can have 4″ – 6″ of rocker. This is extreme rocker and allows the canoe to turn quickly in fast moving current, but it slows the canoe down on flat water and can make the canoe feel tippy or jittery until you put a load in it. Since you are drifting with current, it doesn’t really matter how fast the canoe goes forward. On the other hand, canoes with little or no rocker, which are proclaimed to be whitewater canoes, are junk from that perspective, but whitewater is a different subject.

Rocker is hard to understand for a lot of folks until they see this picture. Having paddled many canoe hull designs, I consider canoes which are “rockered” only on the ends to be in my same category for rockerless canoes – junk. They don’t turn worth a darn either. Rocker should start at the middle of the canoe, right under the yoke. With a slightly rocker canoe, if you were to set it on level concrete and push the stern sideways, the bow will travel an equal amount in the opposite direction. See the corresponding red and blue arrows which depict the rotation of the canoe in the photo below.

This is how a rockered canoe moves in the water and allows you to turn the canoe into the wind or anywhere else for that matter, when you need to turn it.

For every characteristic there is an equal and opposite characteristic that effects the paddlers of any canoe. A canoe with rocker will need a stern paddler who understands that the canoe is controlled entirely from the stern for the most part. Pushing the stern via J-Stroke or dragging the stern via a Draw stroke makes the bow of the canoe point in an opposite direction. That’s pretty much all there is to steering a canoe on flat water. A canoe with rocker will need a stern paddler who knows how to perform a “J” and Draw stroke when neccesary to make the canoe move where it needs to go. Rockerless canoes on the other hand generally travel in a straight line all the time regardless of whether the inhabitants paddle willy-nilly, on both sides together, or with any general sloppy paddling technique (if you can call it technique) employed to make the canoe go forward. If you are comfortable with not truly knowing what is going on with the canoe on the water at all times, then a rockerless canoe will be good for you so long as you don’t use it on windy days or whenever there may be adverse weather conditions present. When you can figure out how to predict the afternoon’s conditions accurately, let me know. Otherwise I’ll be in my canoe that turns when I need it to turn which is especially helpful for fishing and hunting as well.

 

From The Shape of the Canoe Part 3: Applying the Theory by John Winters:

….rocker is incorporated to improve maneuverability (remember the whitewater). A fringe benefit is that rocker reduces the hull’s tendency to “hog” and so, is to structural benefit. The degree of rocker is usually arbitrarily set based on past experience. Unfortunately, too much for one may not be enough for another, and the debate will enliven campfires for years to come without resolution. The designer makes his choice and hopes for the best while proclaiming to all who will listen that he alone is following the path of true enlightenment….

From Canoe Design – Hull Shape and Canoe Performance:

….My investigation of “rocker” took a slightly different approach. Rocker is usually associated with highly maneuverable boats, like those designed for white water. To quantify the effect that “rocker” has on the turn resistance of a canoe, it is necessary to determine the torque needed to make the canoe push aside the water while turning. During a turn, the lateral underbody of the canoe pushes against the water, which resists this motion. The water pushed by the ends of the canoe contribute more to this resistance than water near the center, since the ends have a longer “lever arm” to act upon. In addition, the ends of the canoe also swing through more distance than the center areas, which pushes the water at the ends faster, again increasing the force on the ends. The bottom line is that turn resistance is influenced by both the size of the lateral area, and how this area is distributed from the center of the canoe….

My personal preference is a canoe with a moderate rocker….plus with a shallow-arch bottom and some tumblehome….this allows for stability, tracking, plus manueverability….making for a good solo canoe (at 15 to 16 ft. in length)….as well as an all-round canoe.

[NOTE: In future  posts here I will be discussing other factors in canoe design such as the shape of bottom (such as shallow-arched or rounded); length, width, depth, as well as capacity; symmetrical vs. asymmetrical; the shape of sides (such as flare or tumblehome or straight); as well as canoe anatomy with definition of various parts of the canoe.]

So there are a few thoughts on rocker in canoes….without really having gone off my rocker to do so LOL LOL.

Paddles up until later then.

Nibi Emosaawdamajig – Those That Walk for the Water….Sacred Water Circle….And Water Awareness Walk In The Kawarthas

From Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/groups/Nibi.Emosaawdamajig/:

Boozhoo!  Greetings! 

Welcome to our group “Nibi Emosaawdamajig – Those That Walk for the Water”.

We are a group of men and women from Peterborough and the Kawarthas.  The historic Kawartha Lakes waterways are the traditional home and territory of the Mississauga Ojibwe Nation.  We Anishinaabeg (First Nations) believe that all creation is interconnected. The elders teach us that our actions today will affect the next seven generations to come.  So we have come together to braid ceremony, spirit, and community to awaken stakeholders to the urgency of maintaining clean water for us now in the present time and for our children in the future.

The Kawartha Water Walks are the vision of Elder Shirley Williams and Liz Osawamick. Mother’s Day weekend in May is the symbolic date for the Water Walks.  It is a fitting choice because as we pay homage to our mothers and grandmothers, we also remember and honor our Earth Mother and her life-giving water that nourishes and sustains all creation.

The first water walk took place in May 2010, around Rice Lake.  It was an arduous 110 km trek through wind, rain, snow and sunshine!  In May 2011, we walked 75 km around Upper Stoney Lake.  It was a perfect weekend of sunshine, warm weather and camaraderie.  Last year, in 2012, we walked around Upper Chemong and Buckhorn Lakes.  It was another perfect weekend of warm weather and new and renewed friendships. We were honoured to have Grandmother Josephine Mandamin walk with us.  This year, we are once again walking around Rice Lake. This year’s walk completes the circle, thereby fulfilling our initial commitment to walk around a lake each spring for four consecutive years in the Kawarthas.  The Rice Lake Water Walk will begin at the Old Railroad Stop (restaurant and gas bar), Hiawatha First Nation, on Friday at 12 noon, May 10, 2013 and will be completed on Sunday afternoon at the same location.

We invite supporters and stakeholders to walk with us as we honour the waters and strive to bring a greater awareness for the need to have clean water for future generations and for all Creation.

 

I believe we have an inherent part of us that is in tune with water….the human body is largely water….so we are all part water….and consequently, water is part of us….add in a canoe that is so well suited to being on the water, being part of the water, and you have an interesting equation….and there is a very real “flow” to it.

 

 

Just before the Water Walk is the Sacred Water Gathering in Peterborough:

Sacred Water Gathering 2013

Join the Sacred Water Gathering this May 8-10 to honour the sacredness of water with ceremony, keynote speakers, panel discussions, presentations, First Nations teachers, vendors, a traditional feast and other activities at various locations in the Kawarthas.

This dynamic three-day event is hosted each year by the Sacred Water Circle to bring together First Nations teachers and elders, political leaders, students, youth, water researchers, those in the water industry and the broader community to focus on water issues, awareness and solutions.

2013 will also see a focus on programming with Youth Voices on issues such as the value of sacred water, and initiatives to empower youth to take an active role in creating a sustainable future and healthy relationships with our water and regional watersheds.

This Year’s Speakers

Dorothy Taylor

Dorothy Taylor is an Ojibwe Anisinaabe kwe and is recognized as a traditional teacher. She is an active member of the Petroglyph Advisory Committee and is asked to share her knowledge with the various organizations within the region such as Trent University, Scugog First Nation and the Curve Lake Cultural Centre. She is a consulting member of the Community Driven Process for Water, a collaborative program with Laurier University, University of Guelph and Nippissing University. Dorothy current volunteer project is The Sacred Water Circle, a collective of community volunteers with the objective of restoring humanity’s sacred relationship with water. She lives in the Curve Lake community with her husband and two boys.

 

 

Josephine Mandamin

Moved by the spirit of creation, Josephine Mandamin, an Anishinawbe Kwe Grandmother, recognized the importance of water to our life and acted on her vision to walk for the water around the Great Lakes.  Josephine wants to remind us that water is life, water is sacred.  Her journey began in 2003 with the First Annual Women’s Water Walk, walking around Lake Superior.  In 2004 she walked around Lake Michigan, in 2005 around Lake Huron, in 2006 around Lake Ontario and in 2007 around Lake Erie.  In 2008 she again walked around Lake Michigan, then in 2009 along the St. Lawrence River.  Josephine’s journey in 2011 began in all four directions and the water walkers ultimately converged at Bad River Wisconsin.  Josephine joined the SWC as an honored guest and Elder to the Gathering and the Water Walk in the Kawarthas in 2012.

 

 

Elder Shirley Williams

Neganigwane, Professor Emeritus, (Nishnaabe-kwe) is a member of the Bird Clan of the Ojibway and Odawa First Nations of Canada.  Her Aboriginal name is “igizi ow-kwe” meaning “that Eagle Woman”.  Shirley started her professional research work in the native Studies Department in 1986 to develop and promote native Language courses within the department.  An Elder at Sweetgrass First nation Council, for the Ministry of Culture and Heritage and Aboriginal Healing Foundation’s First Nations Language programs; and for the Lost Women/Sisters in Spirit campaign; she was given the title of Role Model by the Governor General, Adrienne Clarkson and has recently been invited to set as the Elder for the Aboriginal Physicians of Canada.

 

Sharyn Inward

Sharyn has twenty years of experience researching, developing, funding, implementing, managing and evaluating community-based environmental awareness and action programs. Noteable examples include Cancer Prevention (Women’s Health and Environmental Network); Well Aware and Pesticide Free Naturally (Green Communities Canada). Latest work includes developing and implementing the RAIN Program (addressing lot-level stormwater management in eight Ontario communities) for Green Communities Canada and designing green buildings and houses.

Agenda

Wednesday, May 8 

8:30 am Bus departure provided from Trent University Peter Gzowski College (map) to Petroglyphs Provincial Park (2249 Northey’s Bay Road, Woodview, Ontario) (map)

9:30 am Arrival at Petrogylphs Provincial Park

10:00 am Sacred Water Circle Gathering Opening Ceremony

12:00 pm Luncheon catered by Grandfather’s Catering (Please bring your own dishes and a water bottle or mug)

2:00 pm Bus will leave from Petroglyphs for Trent University Peter Gzowski College (45 minutes travel time)

3:00 pm Trent University- Youth Voices Component (2 hours) Spiritual Perspectives

5:00 pm Food Venues available on campus where meals can be purchased

7:00 pm Film Screening: The Water Journey (watch the trailer)

Thursday, May 9

5:45 am Sunrise Ceremony at Trent University Peter Gzowski College in the Tipi. Women are asked to wear long skirts.

8:30 am Arrival and Registration Trent University Peter Gzowski College, Gathering Space

9:30 am Panel dialogue from elders and youth, including Grandmother Josephine Mandamin, Elder Shirley Williams, Sacred Water Circle Founder Dorothy Taylor, Youth Voices and Sylvia Plain, who will be joined by academics for dialogue on water issues.

12:00 pm Lunch Banquet (Please bring your own dishes and a water bottle or mug)

1:00 pm Living with Water Workshop

2:00 pm Open Space: Setting an action agenda

5:00 pm Food Venues available on campus where meals can be purchased

7:00 pm Cultural evening at Trent University

Friday, May 10 

8:30 am Bus departure provided from Trent University Peter Gzowski College to Hiawatha First Nation (map)

10:00-11:00 am Sacred Water Circle Closing Ceremony

Immediately following the Closing Ceremony will be the 4th Annual Water Walk around Rice Lake from Hiawatha First Nation.

12:00 pm Water Walk around Rice Lake begins. Women are asked to wear long skirts.

Bus transportation will be provided for those who wish to participate in the first length of this walk for water, at approximately 3:30 pm, from North Shore Public School in Keene back to Trent University Peter Gzowski College.

Anishinaabe Babamadizwin: A Journey By Canoe Revised

Painting by Leland Bell

 

First, the canoe connects us to Ma-ka-ina, Mother Earth, from which we came and to which we must all return. Councils of those who were here before us revered the earth and also the wind, the rain, and the sun – all essential to life. It was from that remarkable blending of forces that mankind was allowed to create the canoe and its several kindred forms. From the birch tree, came the bark; from the spruce, pliant roots; from the cedar, the ribs, planking and gunwales; and from a variety of natural sources, the sealing pitch. In other habitats, great trees became dugout canoes while, in treeless areas, skin, bone and sinew were ingeniously fused into kayaks. Form followed function, and manufacture was linked to available materials. Even the modern canoe, although several steps away from the first, is still a product of the earth. We have a great debt to those who experienced the land before us. No wonder that, in many parts of the world, the people thank the land for allowing its spirit to be transferred to the canoe.

Hand-propelled watercraft still allow us to pursue the elemental quest for tranquility, beauty, peace, freedom and cleaness. It is good to be conveyed quietly, gracefully, to natural rhythms….The canoe especially connects us to rivers – timeless pathways of the wilderness. Wave after wave of users have passed by. Gentle rains falling onto a paddler evaporate skyward to form clouds and then to descend on a fellow traveller, perhaps in another era. Like wise, our waterways contain something of the substance of our ancestors. The canoe connects us to the spirit of these people who walk beside us as we glide silently along riverine trails. – Kirk Wipper, in foreword to Canexus. 

BACKGROUND:

The canoe of the Aboriginal Peoples is perhaps the ultimate expression of elegance and function in the world of watercraft. All its parts come from nature, and when it is retired, it returns to nature. Except for the tribes of the Plains, the canoe was vital to all Aboriginal cultures of Canada, each tribe being defined by the distinct shape of its canoe or kayak. It was not only the principal means of transportation, but was also critical to almost every facet of life; canoe and kayak builders were revered in their societies.

Even long ago there were some men who could not make all the things that were needed. In each camp there were only a few who could make everything. The hardest thing to build was the canoe. The man who could make a canoe was very happy because the people depended on it so much. –  John Kawapit Eastern Cree Great Whale River, Quebec

There have been youth canoe building programs in the past, including for First Nations youth.

Last year, the Fort Severn Canoe Project was undertaken, restoring Freighter canoes with young men from Fort Severn First Nation. Part of the heritage of Fort Severn is the use of the Freighter canoe. Made of wood-canvas construction, these large canoes are literally the workhorses of the North, the pick-up truck as it were. These canoes are used for hunting and fishing. They are used to get out on the land, travelling by various waterways in Fort Severn’s traditional territory. As well, these canoes are used for eco-tourism ventures. There were 22 to 25 canoes within the community, in various states of repair. In April 2012, a month long pilot project was undertaken, during which a canoe shop was built that will allow for the restoration of these canoes. This also involved the purchase of tools and supplies that had to be brought into the community, mostly by ice road. Also involved were three experienced canoe builders who helped set up the shop and begin the restoration process. (see http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/04/27/f-fort-severn-canoe-restoration.html for more on this).This led to an ongoing presence over the summer months with additional training opportunities, during which 14 canoes were restored. In September 2012 these canoes were used for a canoe trip upriver with Elders and youth.

Other examples highlighting canoe journeys include:

A outdoor adventure leadership experience (OALE) for adolescents aged 12-18 from one First Nations community in Ontario has been undertaken, involving ten-day canoe trip. The main goal of the OALE program was to promote resilience and well-being. The OALE was implemented and evaluated with six different groups and a total of 73 adolescent participants (ages 12 to 18) from Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve in northern Ontario.

From August 24 to September 7, 2012 a team of paddlers from Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) First Nation, ventured 300 km beyond the nearest road to paddle the ancient route from the KI village (Big Trout Lake) to the Hudson’s Bay (at Fort Severn) along the free-flowing Fawn and Severn Rivers.

These are just a few examples of the importance of the canoe in First Nations culture and tradition….especially in the present day. From a personal perspective, especially after the experience of the Fort Severn canoe project that I was part of….working with the community’s youth restoring wood canvas Freighter canoes….and the possibilities of other such projects in other First Nation communities….I know the ‘power of the canoe’.

ORIGINAL PROPOSED JOURNEY:

It was envisioned that a First Nations canoe project be undertaken….patterned after Pulling Together (http://pullingtogether.ca/) or Tribal Journeys (http://tribaljourneys.wordpress.com/) from the West Coast…a number of canoe trips from various Anishinaabe (Ojibway) communities from around Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, plus those near Sault Ste. Marie, as well as from inland such as Temagami, North Bay, Lake Simcoe or even the Kawarthas….ending at Manitoulin Island. These communities would be invited by a yet to be determined host community on Manitoulin Island.

Such trips are thus centered around one of the Great Lakes….the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe people. The Ojibway or Anishinaabe people were canoe people.

These series of canoe trips could bring awareness of Native culture and traditions….as well as engaging Native youth….especially with Elders.  As well as bringing awareness to First Nations rights….Mother Earth….the environment….water….the Great Lakes….wilderness.  Such trips could involve bark canoes….OR wood canvas canoes….built by First Nations youth….for the trips. Thus the most natural material possible would be used. As life starts by going through the Eastern Doorway….so would a canoe trip beginning in the East….maybe from the Peterborough area (maybe a possible tie in with the National Canoe Day celebration there in late June….certainly involving the Canadian Canoe Museum). Such a trip could involve wood canvas canoes, constructed by youth.

I suppose there would always be an argument for the different types of materials and canoe designs, but the wood-canvas canoe is one generation away from the birchbark canoe and was made for working and transporting people through the wilderness. It was designed and made out of materials that would stand up to miles and miles of flatwater and whitewater and portaging through very rugged and unexplored terrain. As a trip leader with kids and adults, I have safely traveled across many lakes in a wood-canvas canoe in conditions where other experienced paddlers in the new-design boats were either windbound or took on water during the crossings. – Jim Spencer, canoebuilder.

Wood canvas canoe (Mike Ormsby)

Wood and canvas canoes are strong, seaworthy, exceptionally responsive to the paddle and soothing to the human spirit – Hugh Stewart, master canoe builder, Headwater Canoes

The concept and the magic of a canvas-covered canoe is that it can have two, three, or even four new outer skins in its lifetime… These canoes are exceptionally recyclable and ultimately, except for screws, tacks and brass, biodegradable. — Hugh Stewart, wood-canvas canoe-builder and owner of Wakefield, Quebec’s Headwater Canoes

Nothing feels like a cedar-strip canvas canoe – Omer Stringer, a confirmed traditionalist

My two old canoes are works of art, embodying the feeling of all canoemen for rivers and lakes and the wild country they were meant to traverse. They were made in the old tradition when there was time and the love of the work itself.I have two canvas-covered canoes, both old and beautifully made. They came from the Penobscot River in Maine long ago, and I treasure them for the tradition of craftsmanship in their construction, a pride not only of form and line but of everything that went into their building. When l look at modern canoes, of metal or fiberglass stamped out like so many identical coins. l cherish mine even more …Sixteen feet in length, it has graceful lines with a tumble home or curve from the gunwales inward …No other canoe I’ve ever used paddles as easily … The gunwales and decks are of mahogany, the ribs and planking of carefully selected spruce and cedar… - Sigurd Olson, Tradition

The canoes rode well, not too high in the bows, but just enough. Peterborough Prospectors were made for the bush and for roaring rapids and waves. They embodies the best features of all canoes in the north. They were wide of beam with sufficient depth to take rough water, and their lines gave them maneuverability and grace. In them was the lore of centuries, of Indian craftsman who had dreamed and perfected the beauty of the birchbark, and of French voyageurs who also loved the feel of the paddle and the smooth glide of the canoe through the water. All this was taken by modern craftsman who – with glues , waterproof fillers and canvas, together with the accuracy of machine tooled ribs and thwarts , planking and gunwales – made a canoe of which Northmen might be well proud. - Sigurd Olson

Of course it might be possible to include bark canoes too…. this past summer bark canoes were built in Ottawa by Native youth….on Bear Island in Temagami ….and in Oshawa.

A bark canoe was built in Ottawa through Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health.

Or the Metis bark canoe from Oshawa, see http://www.oshawadurhammetis.com/Canoe-Project.html.

 

 

In the Temagami area bark canoes were built at Bear Island by Temagami First Nation youth during the workshop conducted by Voyages of Rediscovery (see http://www.canoekayak.com/canoe/birch-bark-heroes/).

 

Overall this could be a canoe equivalent of the Water Walk conducted by the Anishinaabe women….see http://www.motherearthwaterwalk.com/.

Hopefully such a series of trips would involve the Canadian Canoe Museum, the Canadian Canoe Foundation, the Anishnabek Nation, Union Of Ontario Indians, Chiefs of Ontario. the Federation of Ontario Friendship Centres, as well as the various First Nations….and even the Ontario Arts Council and Canada Council. It would be good to see one of each the wood canvas canoes painted by Native artists….possibly the likes of Leland Bell, Jay Bell Redbird, Randy Knott, Robert Solomon, Joseph Sagaj,and others….after the trip ends each of these canoes could be raffled off to further fund canoe projects in First Nation communities….

The idea for this comes from a canoe built and painted by Jerry Stelmok of Island Falls Canoes (see below), but with a Native twist.

Thus there would be canoe trips from various Anishinaabe (Ojibway) communities around Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, plus those near Sault Ste. Marie, as well as from inland such as Temagami, North Bay, Lake Simcoe or even the Kawarthas….ending at Manitoulin Island. Such trips are thus centered around one of the Great Lakes….the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe people.

The final destination of all of these trips could be Wikwemikong on Manitoulin Island, in time for the annual Wikwemikong pow wow on the August long weekend (as of yet Wikwemikong has not been approached to host such an event….but it is hoped that the community will be interested in doing so). This idea was previously posted for the Aviva Community Fund, http://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf13805.

REVISED IDEA:

This would be a very involved and large undertaking. We must crawl before we walk, and walk before we run. So a scaled down version of Anishinaabe Babamadizwin: A Journey By Canoe could be undertaken out of the Greater Toronto Area.

We could approach  Evergreen for work space at Don Valley Brickworks….or possibly use space available at Centennial College….for building as well as art aspect of project….

For canoe building the following builders/support staff could be available: Mike Ormsby (of Wood-N-Canvas Ventures, Wood Canoe Builders Guild), John Hupfield (of Lost In The Woods Boatworks).

We hope to include of 2-4 artists for this…. artists such as Robert Solomon, Jay Bell Redbird and Joseph Sagaj are interested….could get funding (through OAC and/or Canada Council) for building canoe plus artwork on canoe that would build….that would be part of this ‘journey’….each artist does part of canoe….blending in with each other to tell a story….with just 2 for half a canoe each….possibly including others doing artwork on paddles and/or tikinagins….then take this and other canoes on trip.

PROPOSED ROUTE:

Plan is to travel up one of old trails to Lake Simcoe….but likely by vehicle…..then go through Lake Simcoe to Lake Couchiching….through Trent Severn Waterway to Port Severn on Georgian Bay….onto Killbear Provincial Park with stops in Massasauga Provincial Park and Wasauksing First Nation….

Route would be over old Toronto Carrying Place route….up to Georgian Bay….maybe continue up to Killbear Provincial Park for Killbear Paddlers’ Rendezvous in September….bring youth and Elders together at various points along trip….

PROJECT REVIEW/SUMMARY

Project would be done in steps….likely funded separately or if allowed as stages in funding…..finished canoe can be auctioned off to raise funds for program after trip….

Maybe something like the following stages/steps:

Build Canoe….Paddlemaking….Tikinagin making….

Art Work done on canoe….with 2 to 4 artists….plus on paddles and/or tikinagins….

Canoe trip with youth….

There may be funds available for portions of such a venture available through various youth programs within the Native community….funds raised here would specifically be able to purchase building materials, plus pay for builders/support staff time and equipment.

There is a possibility of working with Project CANOE on canoe trip portion plus possibly during canoe construction and/or paddle making (as their website, http://www.canoe.org/,  states: “Project Canoe uses the outdoors, including wilderness canoeing, to create a transformative environment in which young people develop life skills, social competencies, and resiliency, thereby fostering their own personal success. We partner with our youth, supporting them as they carry these skills and successes forward to manage the complex challenges of their lives. We approach youth from “where they are” and we gently encourage every individual to challenge themselves.”)

AND/OR

The Toronto Recreational Outtripping Outreach Program (TROOP) (As website, https://www.torontopolice.on.ca/community/troop_general_information.pdf, states: “the program evolved as the result of a unique partnership forged between the Toronto Police Service, Toronto Parks Forestry and Recreation and ProAction Cops and Kids. Youth from across Toronto join with police officers and youth workers to take part in a free, outdoor, experiential learning opportunity that lasts 5 days and includes canoeing, hiking and camping. Every summer TROOP takes over 200 people on canoe trips to the wilderness of Northern Ontario. Youth participants are between the ages of 13 to 19. The program gives youth and police officers an opportunity to learn a little more about each other while experiencing an environment that many of them have never seen before”.)

Project CANOE and T.R.O.O.P. both work with inner city youth….from a variety of cultural backgrounds, so should be a good ‘fit’ for such funding.

TIME LINE:

Build canoe May/June.

Paddle/tikinagin making May/June.

Art work on paddles/tikinagins June.

Art work on canoe June/July.

Canoe trip late August /September.

Opportunities for various forms of teachings throughout various stages of project.

ESTIMATED COSTS:

Canoe Construction (including materials/labour….and paddle/tikinagan making) Phase: $7500.00 to $9000.00

Art Work (canoe….paddles/tikinagans) Phase: $7500.00 to $9000.00

Canoe Trip Phase: $5000.00 to $6000.00 (10 to 14 day trip) > 6 to 8 Native Youth, 2-3 staff; similar number from Project CANOE and/or T.R.O.O.P.

Total Estimated Costs: As much as $24, 000.00

Auction Canoe At End (Unless Bought As Reward In Advance)….Estimated valued: $12,600.00 (Use $12,600.00 towards future such programs.)

See http://www.gofundme.com/2opynw for more details.

Tom Thomson: The Artist And The Canoe Redux

….the best I can do does not do the place much justice in the way of beauty. - Tom Thomson, letter to Dr. James MacCallum, Oct. 6, 1914, from Canoe Lake Station (MacCallum Papers, National Gallery of Canada Archives).

Take everything as it comes; the wave passes, deal with the next one — Tom Thomson, 1877-1917

Thomson had caught the bug of the North. He soon showed up at work carrying a new paddle, which he immediately tested out by filling one of the photoengraver tanks with water, then placing the tank beside his chair so he could sit down and practise paddling.

“At each stroke he gave a real canoeman’s twist,” recalled J.E.H. MacDonald, “and his eye had a quiet gleam, as if he saw the hills and shores of Canoe Lake.”  - from Northern Light: The Enduring Mystery of Tom Thomson and the Woman Who Loved Him by Roy MacGregor, p. 28

….“Mark,” he says, “they found Tom Thomson’s canoe, and it’s floating upside down, just in back here, just back this direction, in there against the shore.” Now the water was not near as high as it is now and how that canoe got in there in that condition it was I’ll never know, or anybody else I guess. However, in the Algonquin Story it tells you the canoe was floating right side up. That’s absolutely false. I’m the man that took that canoe and turned it over and examined what was in the canoe; there was none of his equipment in it -…his little axe even was gone – and the paddles were tied in for carrying – his paddle that he used in paddling was not there. If he’d had it with him, we never found it afterwards…. - Mark Robinson, from an interview he gave at Taylor Statten Camp, Oct. 1956 (from Death On A Painted Lake: The Tom Thomson Tragedy).

A few years back I was at THEMUSEUM in Kitchener….and did a presentation as part of the Searching For Tom art show….my talk was on Tom’s canoe….and I was happy to share some of the information I had gathered about Tom’s canoe….as well as the role of the canoe and paddling in his art and his life…..between 40 and 50 people came out to hear this ‘heritage canoe expert’, or as I explained ‘heritage canoe’ means ‘old canoe’ and I’m an ‘old guy who paddles’….as for ‘expert’, that’s actually an ‘ex-spurt’ or ‘former drip under pressure’. My talk was based on the information I gathered for previous blog entries here….as well as an article I did for Canoeroots. I was asked by a few that attended (and some who couldn’t) to post the text of my talk on Tom Thomson’s canoe….so here is the main parts of the talk I gave (as well as the photos I used)….hope you enjoy:

Tom Thomson: The Artist And The Canoe

The artist and the canoe: when one thinks of canoeing and Canadian art, what readily comes to mind is Tom Thomson.

After 1900, the canoe was not merely something identified with Native people or the fur-trade and exploration. This was the Golden Age of the canoe. Canoes were being used for recreation, especially hunting and fishing. The canoe was necessary to travel into wild places like Algonquin Park. Tom Thomson fell in love with Algonquin Park from the moment he first visited there in 1912. He spent as much time as possible there over the next five years of his life. If not painting or sketching, he took whatever work he could to make ends meet, even briefly as a park ranger and a guide. Often he was off on a canoe trip, portaging into remote lakes and camping out under the stars. So the canoe is central to the work of Tom Thomson. Tom Thomson became known for his skill with a paddle as well as with a brush.

Title: Tom Thomson Creator: Unknown Archive or Repository: Library and Archives Canada/Bibliotheque et Archives Canada Collection or Fond: Lawren Stewart Harris fonds Reference Number: PA-121719, Box T2509

Title: Tom Thomson on Canoe Lake Creator: UnknownArchive or Repository:  Archives of OntarioCollection or Fond: William Colgate collection Reference Number: F1066/I0010309

Title: Tom Thomson fishing Creator: Unknown Archive or Repository: Archives of Ontario Collection or Fond: William Colgate collection Reference Number: F 1066-6/I0010312 Notes: An iconic image of Thomson fishing below one of the dams created to help move lumber from lake to lake in Algonquin Park.

Canoeist’s camp by  Tom Thomson, from Library and Archives Canada, Reference Number: PA-193562 Notes: This photo may have been taken by Thomson on his trip through the Mississagi (Provincial) Forest Reserve, Northern Ontario, in summer 1912. The negative has been damaged, explaining the distorted nature of the image.

Title: Tom Thomson, a member of the Group of Seven, shaving after coming out of the woods with a beard Creator: Unknown [Ed Godin?] Archive or Repository: Library and Archives Canada/Bibliotheque et Archives Canada Reference Number: C-007900 Notes: Library and Archives Canada notes this photo was created at Grand Lake. Achray is located on Grand Lake, which was where Ed Godin was working as a Park Ranger in 1916. Thomson would stay with Godin at times during the summer of 1916, painting a sign to hang over the entrance to Godin’s shack. Note: The title this image is filed under in Library and Archives Canada is incorrect. Thomson was never a member of the Group of Seven, which was formed in 1920, three years after Thomson’s death.

Title: Canoe Lake (and vicinity), Algonquin Park, Ontario Creator: William Little Pages: vi Notes: 1. Original Thomson gravesite. 2. Thomson’s body recovered. 3. Mowat Lodge 4. Winnie Trainor’s cottage 5. The Bletcher cotttage 6. Gill Lake portage 7. Alternate Gill Lake portage 8. Guide’s cabin 9. Canoe Lake train station 10. Mark Robinson’s house 11. Algonquin Hotel 12. Coulson’s store 13. Joe Lake dam 14. Favourite camping site of Thomson’s 15. Thomson cairn (also a favourite Thomson camping site) 16. Thomson’s canoe found

Sketch of Winnie Trainor, who was believed to be engaged to marry Tom Thomson, by Victoria Lywood, John Abbott College, from Northern Light: The Enduring Mystery of Tom Thomson and the Woman Who Loved Him by Roy MacGregor

Title: Shannon Fraser, Annie Fraser, and others Creator: Unknown Archive or Repository: Algonquin Park Archives Reference Number: APMA 48 Notes: Shannon and Annie Fraser on left side.

Title: Annie Fraser, in front of Mowat Lodge fireplace Creator: Unknown Archive or Repository: Algonquin Park Archives Reference Number: APMA 1016

Title: Shannon Fraser, with “The Hearse” Creator: Unknown Archive or Repository: Algonquin Park Archives Reference Number: APMA 3010

Title: Mowat Lodge Creator: Unknown Archive or Repository: Algonquin Park Archives Reference Number: APMA 186 Notes: Mowat Lodge, how it appeared during the period Thomson was visiting Canoe Lake. The Lodge is where Thomson often stayed when he was not camping in the Park.

Title: Mowat Lodge Creator: Unknown Archive or Repository: Algonquin Park Archives Reference Number: APMA 222 Notes: Mowat Lodge, seen across the water during the 1920s.

Title: Fraser’s Lodge (Mowat Lodge) Creator: Tom Thomson Archive or Repository: Art Gallery of Alberta Collection or Fond: Art Gallery of Alberta collection Reference Number: 77.30 Notes: Oil on wood, 21.9 x 27 cm. Gift of Mrs. Gertrude Poole, 1977.

Title: George Rowe and group Creator: Unknown Archive or Repository: Algonquin Park Archives Reference Number: APMA 5084 Notes: George Rowe, who worked as an Algonquin Park guide out of Mowat at the same time as Thomson was there, is in the back row, far left. Rowe was one of the men who brought Thomson’s body in to shore upon its discovery in the lake.

Title: Canoe Lake, seen from Mowat cemetery Creator: Unknown Archive or Repository: Algonquin Park Archives Reference Number: APMA 6932 Notes: Mowat Lodge is visible at far right.

Title: Canoe Lake station Creator: Unknown Archive or Repository: Algonquin Park Archives Reference Number: APMA 2039

Title: Canoe Lake station Creator: Unknown Archive or Repository: Algonquin Park Archives Reference Number: APMA 5905 Notes: Looking west towards Canoe Lake station.

Title: Going to Canoe Lake station for the mail Creator: Unknown Archive or Repository: Algonquin Park Archives Reference Number: APMA 2500 Notes: The lady seated in the sled is Daphne Crombie, who would later confess some provocative information she claimed Annie Fraser had told her about Tom Thomson and Winnifred Trainor’s relationship. Mowat Lodge, operated by the Frasers, can be seen in the background.

Algonquin Park Guide’s License — Tom Thomson, from  Algonquin Park Archives, Reference Number: APMA 185 Notes: Original document is held by Library and Archives Canada.

Title: Warrant to Bury After A View Creator: A. E. Ranney, M. D. Archive or Repository: Archives of Ontario Reference Number: I0029100 Notes: This form was filled out by Dr. Ranney, the coroner presiding over the Thomson inquest. It indicates that an inquest had been held into Tom Thomson’s death, and that Ranney gave permission for Thomson’s corpse to be buried. The statement made on the form is not entirely true, however. By the time Ranney arrived in Mowat, Thomson’s body had already been buried. The doctor never actually viewed Thomson’s remains.

Title: Coroner’s warrant to take possession of body Creator: A. E. Ranney, M. D. Archive or Repository: Archives of Ontario Reference Number: I0029101 Notes: This form, signed by Dr. Ranney, the Coroner presiding over the Thomson case, gave permission for the body of Thomson to be released to the Chief Constable of the District of Nipissing. By the time Ranney signed this document, however, Thomson’s corpse had already been laid to rest in a grave in Mowat cemetery.

Few Thomson paintings actually have canoes in them. When he did depict a canoe, it seemed to be just part of the scenery. One such painting, simply entitled The Canoe, shows a lone grey canoe on the shore of a northern lake. But by looking at most of Tom’s smaller sketches, it is apparent that these were created from a canoeist’s perspective. Thomson often painted while he was in a canoe.   Tom included the image of a grey canoe in a couple of his paintings….could this be the same grey canoe as shown in the above photo. In December 2005 Joyner Waddington held an auction of works by Lawren Harris (a member of the Group of Seven) and Tom Thomson. These included a little-known oil sketch,  by Tom entitled Canoe and Lake, Algonquin Park, which sold for $369,600 (now that would have bought a pile of Chestnut canoes LOL LOL).

Image of Tom Thomson’s ‘Canoe and Lake, Algonquin Park’ courtesy Joyner Waddington, http://www.joyner.ca/pages/joyner-auctions/viewlot.php?id=1000696. Title: Canoe And Lake, Algonquin Park, oil on canvas, laid down on panel, signed Creator: Tom Thomson  7 ins x 10 ins; 17.5 cms x 25 cms  EST. $80,000 / 100,000  PRICE: $377,100.00  Painted circa 1912-13.  Provenance: Private Collection, Toronto  Literature: Dennis Reid and Charles C. Hill, Tom Thomson, Art Gallery of Ontario and National Gallery of Canada, Toronto and Ottawa, 2002, pages 157-169, colour plates 5-17 for related Algonquin works from the same period and of similar size and medium, in particular, for a painting entitled The Canoe (plate 6).  This work was included in Joan Murray’s catalogue raisonne of the artist’s work.

Tom Thomson also painted The Canoe in 1914, which is now in the Art Gallery of Ontario, yet another depiction of a grey canoe in Algonquin Park.

Image from Group of Seven Art.com, a fine arts reproduction company, http://www.groupofsevenart.com/Thomson/Images/Tom_Thomson_The_Canoe_1912_GS.jpg.  Note: This image incorrectly identifies this painting as from 1912.

Title: Canoe Lake, Algonquin Park Creator: Tom Thomson Archive or Repository: Macdonald Stewart Art Centre Collection or Fond: University of Guelph Collection Reference Number: MSAC-UG989.097 Notes: Oil on canvas. Gift of Stewart and Letty Bennett, donated by the Ontario Heritage Foundation to the University of Guelph, 1988.

Title: Chill November Creator: Tom Thomson Archive or Repository: Gallery Lambton Collection or Fond: Gallery Lambton Notes: Oil on canvas, 36″ x 42″/91.4 cm x 106.7 cm. Gift of the Sarnia Women’s Conservation Art Association, 1956.

Title: Tom Thomson studio (exterior), Toronto Creator: Unknown Archive or Repository: Archives of Ontario Collection or Fond: William Colgate collection Reference Number: F1066/I0010308.jpg Notes: This photograph gives a sense of the shack Tom Thomson used as a studio in Toronto. The shack was located adjacent to the studio building Dr. James MacCallum and Lawren Harris erected on Severn Street.

Title: Plaque, Tom Thomson Memorial Cairn, Hayhurst Point, Canoe Lake, Algonquin Park Creator: Ben Greisman

Title: Tom Thomson 1877-1917, Canoe Lake, Algonquin sign

In July 1917, a a very distinctive blue-grey canoe was found floating upside down, with a paddle lashed inside as if ready to portage, in Canoe Lake. A week later, the body of Tom Thomson was also discovered, with fishing line wrapped around him. As in life, a canoe figured in his demise, maybe even in more than one way.   Tom Thomson’s death is a mystery. Suggestions range from Tom falling out of his canoe, bumping his head and then had drowning, to foul play and even suicide. I believe it was foul play, and quite possible that Tom was killed over an outstanding loan of $250 he had made to Shannon Fraser for the purchase of canoes (it could be Tom needed the money for his upcoming marriage to Winnie Trainor).

Whatever the case, a canoe is part of the tale. Even through name of the lake where he died in. Stories of a ghostly canoeist have become part of the legacy of Tom Thomson, said to be seen by Lawren Harris among others. But for all of the intrigue involved, Tom’s art speaks for itself. And his canoe is part of that too. So what do we know of the artist’s canoe? In a letter to Tom’s brother, George Thomson, from Winifred Trainor (a local Algonquin Park woman that Tom Thomson was to marry): “….in July 1915 Tom bought a new chestnut canoe silk tent etc…” Dr. R.P. Little states in his recollection of Tom Thomson: “What a horse is to a cowboy, a 16-foot canvas-covered canoe was to Tom. (This canoe was made by the Chestnut Canoe Company of New Brunswick.)” Another source describes that “Tom took great pride in his own Chestnut-brand canoe, which, like a centaur, was almost part of him. The story is told of how he added a whole tube of very expensive artist’s paint to a can of canoe enamel in order to get the exact shade that he wanted.” As for the canoe’s unique colour, there is no doubt that Tom thomson’s canoe was grey blue in colour. Apparently the colour was the result of Tom’s own creation….one source states: “The canoe was distinctive with a metal strip along the keel and painted a grey-green of Tom’s concoction. The small population of Canoe Lake must have known it by sight”….another reference says: “Thomsom had a canoe in which he took great pride, a graceful cedar and canvas Chestnut craft of a unique dove-grey colour, which he had achieved by adding a deluxe $2.00 tube of cobalt blue artist’s paint to a standard grey canoe paint.” So Tom Thomson had a customized blue or green-grey Chestnut canoe. As for what became of Tom Thomson’s canoe, it apparently disappeared. It is told that in 1930 (13 years after Tom’s death), 75 canoes, in various states of condition, were brought to Camp Ahmek to be reviewed by a group of local guides and experts to determine if any were Tom’s lost canoe. Mark Robinson, the park ranger who knew Tom Thomson well, was part of this panel. None of these canoes proved to be Tom’s canoe and they were apparently burned in the camp’s incinerator. Another rumour has a boys’ camp ending up with Tom’s canoe, where it fell into disrepair. Or that it was used as a spare canoe at the end of a portage in Algonquin so one didn’t have to carry over another canoe. It is even possible that Shannon Fraser used it at Mowat Lodge until it was abandoned or rotted away.

Arthur Lismer and Tom Thomson in a canoe,  Canoe Lake, Algonquin Park, May 1914 (McMichael Canadian Art Collection Archives), from http://www.images.technomuses.ca/swf/sublime/sublime_print_en_02.html.

Tom Thomson in his “grey canoe”….Algonquin Park. Picture from Don Charbonneau’s website, http://doncharbonneau.com/fr_tomthomson.cfm.

From the picture of Tom Thomson in his canoe, I believe that the canoe is a Chestnut Cruiser or a Guides’ Special (that was a version of the Cruiser), likely 16 feet in length. It couldn’t be a Prospector since the Prospector didn’t appear until 1923. The Crusing Model was made in two grades, with the first grade being of better material and finish, with two cane seats; the second grade might have cedar that contained small knots, with a slightly heavier canvas and a waterproof finish to withstand heavier usage, painted in a dull grey slate, having one cane stern seat and a bar forward. The first grade 16 footer was appropriately named the Premier, while the second grade was named Kruger (after a prominent Boer War figure). The Cruising model was a larger canoe than the Pleasure model, “higher towards the ends, and designed for rougher water.”  Because of a rounder hull and being slightly rockered, it was better suited for rivers or whitewater. The Guides’ Special had closer spaced ribs (even having half ribs in earlier models) to supposedly stiffen and strengthen the canoe, again for harder usage. The 16 foot Guides’ Special was known as the Boone. Early prices for a Cruiser ranged from $33 to $43, depending on grade, for the 16 foot length, with the same sized Guides’ Special at $38.

The first is from the 1904 catalog and is the Cruiser model. Next picture is the 1913 Guide model.

The first is from the 1904 catalog and is the Cruiser model.

Second is from the 1913 catalog and is the Pleasure model.

Third is a picture that comes after the Pleasure model in the catalog… one could presume it is the Pleasure but that isn’t stated. The angle is similar to the one in the picture of Thompson (spelling) in his canoe, and the two canoes appear to have similar lines.

Fourth picture is the 1913 Guide model.

Images from the “Canadian Wood Canoe & Boat Company Catalog Collection” available on CD from http://www.wcha.org/catalog/ and http://www.dragonflycanoe.com/cdrom.htm on the web.

Whatever the canoe was that Tom Thomson paddled, it certainly is forever interwined with his art and his life.

I also included a poem I wrote regarding the Tom Thomson saga:

Ghost Canoe

 

Painted using a mixture of regular marine grey and an artist’s $2 tube of cobalt blue

There was little chance of mistaking Tom Thomson’s distinctive “dove grey” canoe

Yet when it was found floating upside down in Canoe Lake

Offshore and unattended, riding free in the wave’s wake

Little could anyone have realized the great mystery about to unfold

The legend and the lore of the man, the story that might never be told

 

Discovering Thomson’s body bobbing near Little Wapomeo Island

With a bruise over the temple, blood coming from the ear

Could this be the result of an argument that got out of hand?

At the very least finding Tom such had been the greatest fear

With so much talent and surely a prosperous future just ahead

It was sad that by July 1917, at age 39, Tom Thomson was dead

 

But would anybody ever know how he had met this terrible fate?

Over the years memories fade and facts become less than straight

What is to be made of the ankle wrapped around with fishing line?

Was Tom killed by a waterborne whirlwind or likewise divine?

And what ever became of the missing favourite paddle?

So much that is hard to fathom or begin to try to straddle

 

What of the two paddles lashed inside the canoe as if ready to carry

But apparently haphazardly tied in with less than an expert’s knot?

Had Thomson decided to head out west, to leave without further tarry?

Was a loan to Shannon Fraser involved, a debt for canoes recently bought?

Were harsh words over the war with Germany allowed to enflame?

Was Martin Blecher (or was it Bletcher?) that was the one to blame?

 

Would the truth ever come out of what had happened to the artist cum guide

Had he drowned standing up attempting to pee over the canoe’s side?

Was it a case of possible foul play or even suicide?

Had Tom Thomson gone missing due to a matter of family pride?

Had he promised Winnie Trainor that they would wed?

Or was his death the result of a fatal blow to the head?

 

Was there a baby that was soon to be due?

And who really last saw Tom in his canoe?

What is to be made of the report of the artist’s frequent swings in mood?

Was Thomson a gentleman, true in his word, or a drunkard sometimes crude?

Was he happy or sad? Was he bi-polar or even depressed?

So much remains unknown and never properly addressed

 

The coroner arrived after Tom had been embalmed and already buried

Holding a brief inquest that found death to have been accidental drowning

When to some such a finding seemed at the very least somewhat hurried

Even the coroner’s report becoming lost can only leave one frowning

What of the bruise on the temple? Was it on the left or the right?

Surely there must have been talk from the locals of a possible fight?

 

Accidental drowning may have been the official word

But this just seems far too simple and even absurd

Most thought Tom was more than adequate in the water; it was known he could swim

He was also considered a good enough paddler to keep any canoe reasonably trim

No water in his lungs? So long for the body to surface? Did something prevent it to rise?

Too many questions for such a quick report….too much unanswered to just surmise

 

What of the questions of the actual burial site? Is Tom in Leith or at Canoe Lake?

Was there really a body in that sealed metal casket? Or merely sand meant to fake?

Why has the family never allowed exhumation? Was undertaker Churchill sly as a fox?

Who was dug up in 1956? Thomson or someone of Native descent left in the same box?

Why did Miss Trainor continue to place flowers on a supposedly empty grave?

Baffling and puzzling to say the least….enough to make some even rant and rave.

 

But through all that is written, whatever theories may be, no matter all that has been told

Whether far too many questions still remain or how much this mystery may take a hold

To me one thing constant through all of this is the spiritual image of the canoe

Canoes appear in his art, even that distinctive Chestnut, painted grey blue

A canoe was involved in his death and in the name of the lake where he lost his life

Maybe from a debt over the purchase of canoes, money he needed to take a wife?

 

A ghostly figure has been seen on misty mornings paddling a canoe on Canoe Lake

But a silent, even benign ghost, hardly scary enough to keep one up nights wide awake

So canoes weave in out of Tom Thomson’s story; he even often painted from a canoe

But what became of his beloved Chestnut, with metal strip down the keel, and grey blue

Little is known where it ended up; maybe rotting at Mowat Lodge or on a portage trail?

Years after Tom’s death, a local camp even tried to locate this canoe, but alas to no avail

 

Painted using a mixture of regular marine grey and an artist’s $2 tube of cobalt blue

There was little chance of mistaking Tom Thomson’s distinctive “dove grey” canoe

Yet when it was found floating upside down in Canoe Lake

Offshore and unattended, riding free in the wave’s wake

Little could anyone have realized the great mystery about to unfold

The legend and the lore of the man, the story that might never be told

 

And while that canoe would become like the figure of a ghost

It is always part of Thomson’s art and life, playing no small role

Not just involved in a bit part, and certainly one larger than most

Maybe it was finally lost in time, but is always seen as in the whole

To some it might appear to be just another canoe, making no difference in any way

But to those who knew it could only be Tom Thomson’s Chestnut of blue grey

 

Painted using a mixture of regular marine grey and an artist’s $2 tube of cobalt blue

There was little chance of mistaking Tom Thomson’s distinctive “dove grey” canoe

Yet when it was found floating upside down in Canoe Lake

Offshore and unattended, riding free in the wave’s wake

Little could anyone have realized the great mystery about to unfold

The legend and the lore of the man, the story that might never be told

 

Eagles….And Eagle Feathers….Some Native Teachings….And More On Native Spirituality

A photo found on Facebook.

The Eagle (Migizi in Ojibway) holds a very special place for Native peoples.  The Eagle soared so high in the heavens that Native peoples held it in high esteem since it was so much closer to the Creator. The Eagle became a power of vision, strength and courage. There are many special meanings and special uses for the Eagle.

Many Native teachings explain that Eagle is the Principle Messenger of Creator. Eagle flies the closest to Creator and, therefore, can see the past, present and future at a glance. Eagle sees the flow of change. Eagle alerts us to the changes so that we can respond appropriately. Eagle is the great illuminator and soars above us all, sometimes out of sight to us, but never out of its own sight. Eagle sees and hears all and sits in the east on the Medicine Wheel with the direction of leadership and courage.

In other words, Eagle is connected both to the spirit of Great Mystery and to the Earth and does both with ease. Eagle, therefore, is a powerful symbol of courage; that is why its feathers are such powerful tools for healing, and why there are special ceremonies for Eagle feathers. Eagle teaches us that it is okay to combine wisdom and courage — it is okay to be wise enough to know that a change needs to be made in one’s life and then finding the courage to execute the change.

A gift of an Eagle Feather is a great honor. It is a mark of distinction, one that could indicate that a rite of passage has been earned. The Eagle Feather represents the norms, responsibilities and behaviors that are all a part of the conditioning, learning and commitment to a spirit. It is in this way that life is honored and becomes whole.

The quill of an Eagle Feather represents stability, strength and foundation. In the Cycle of Life or wheel of life, it represents the spirituality of the people. This is where the beginning and ending meet. The quill represents the beginning and ending in the spiritual journey of life. Birth and death are represented here as rites of passage from and to the spiritual world. Conception, the nine month journey and childbirth are sacred and begin here. Traditionally, there were ceremonies or celebrations for the beginning of life.

The plume of an Eagle Feather or fluff is white, billowy and soft. It represents the purity, lightness and gentleness of a child full of the spirit and so new to the cycle of life. The plume is distinctive and usually a token of honor.

The plume in the Cycle of Life is the beginning of the formative years, childhood. It is the age of innocence, pride and dreams – a time for bonding and attachment to relationships, values, attitudes, behaviors, personalities, character and to the environment. It is a time for security and integration.

The vane of an Eagle Feather represents flexibility and adaptability with gentleness and firmness. The vane has a unique design as each feather is unique. Each individual is also unique. This is the expanded part of the feather just as youth are now expanding into the world and each is responsible for themselves.

In the Cycle of Life, the vane is the continuation of the formative years. The children have achieved their rights of passage, a boy becomes a hunter or warrior and a girl has reached womanhood. During this phase, there is learning and guidance. The mind, the mouth, heart and hand (avenues for the spirit) are being nurtured. Example and reinforcement are given in the proper direction to strengthen their spiritual well being and identity. It is a time of enrichment, logic and proof.

The entire feather is straight, strong, firm and gentle. The top portion represents the peak of life. The conduct of adulthood is to bring out the best in beauty and goodness. Men have achieved bravery, skill or character and have been renamed accordingly. Women have achieved a level of knowledge basic to the survival of the people. Self-discipline, survival skills, loyalty, solidarity, and respect within family are above all individual interests. The foundation laid for them is intact. Interdependence, empathy, insight and foresight enables them to be keepers and protectors of the culture. It is at this phase that marriage and child-bearing are foremost.

The opposite vane continues to represent flexibility and adaptability with gentleness and firmness. In the Cycle of Life, a level of seniority is established. Conduct of parenthood has been proven and movement into grand parenthood is inevitable. Relationships, community and nationhood are important. Responsibility for the welfare of others, young and old is the purpose of guidance. To encourage and support others is to give back what was given and to give more of one’s self.

As in the opposite, the plume of the Eagle Feather represents purity, lightness and gentleness. Purity in mind, body and spirit is achieved in old age. Elders become frail and weak like children. It is a very honorable age that speaks no arrogance or greed but the fulfillment of life to the best of one’s ability. They become the keepers of the wisdom with peaceful energy, authority and purpose. Elders are as highly esteemed as the Eagle.

Once again the quill represents the beginning and ending in the spiritual journey of life. Death is at the end of the Cycle of Life and is also a rite of passage into the spiritual world. The spirit lives on in the hearts and minds of loved ones into eternity. One has known his natural space, only once does he pass this way, he has made his journey. To honor death is to honor life as both are important in the spirit world.

One First Nations story is also about the eagle feather:

In the beginning, the Great Spirit above gave to the animals and birds wisdom and knowledge and the power to talk to men. He sent these creatures to tell man that he showed himself through them. They would teach a chosen man sacred songs and dance, as well as much ritual and lore.

The creature most loved by the Great Spirit was the eagle, for he tells the story of life. The Eagle, as you know, has only two eggs, and all living things in the world are divided into two. Here is man and woman, male and female and this is true with animals, birds, trees, flowers and so on. All things have children of two kinds so that life may continue. Man has two eyes, two hands, two feet and he has a body and soul, substance and shadow.

Through his eyes, he sees pleasant and unpleasant scenes, through his nostrils he smells good and bad odors, with his ears he hears joyful news and words that make him sad. His mind is divided between good and evil. His right hand he may often use for evil, such as war or striking a person in anger. But his left hand, which is near his heart, is always full of kindness. His right foot may lead him in the wrong path, but his left foot always leads him the right way, and so it goes; he has daylight and darkness, summer and winter, peace and war, and life and death.

In order to remember this lesson of life, look to the great eagle, the favorite bird of the Great Spirit. The eagle feather is divided into two parts, part light, and part dark. This represents daylight and darkness, summer and winter, peace and war, and life and death. So that you may remember what I have told you, look well on the eagle, for his feathers, too, tell the story of life.

Look at the feathers I wear upon my hand, the one on the right is large and perfect and is decorated; this represents man. The one on my left is small and plain; this represents woman. The eagle feather is divided into two parts, dark and white. This represents daylight and darkness, summer and winter. For the white tells of summer, when all is bright and the dark represents the dark days of winter.

My children, remember what I tell you. For it is YOU who will choose the path in life you will follow — the good way, or the wrong way.

Another First Nations teaching:

When the world was new, the Creator made all the birds. He colored their feathers like a bouquet of flowers. The Creator then gave each a distinct song to sing. The Creator instructed the birds to greet each new day with a chorus of their songs. Of all the birds, our Creator chose the Eagle to be the leader. The Eagle flies the highest and sees the furthest of all creatures. The Eagle is a messenger to the Creator. To wear or to hold the Eagle Feather causes our Creator to take immediate notice. With the Eagle Feather the Creator is honored in the highest.

When one receives an Eagle Feather that person is being acknowledged with gratitude, with love, and with ultimate respect. That feather must have sacred tobacco burnt for it. In this way the Eagle and the Creator are notified of the name of the new Eagle Feather Holder. The holder of the Eagle Feather must ensure that anything that changes the natural state of ones mind (such as alcohol and drugs) must never come in contact with the sacred Eagle Feather. The keeper of the feather will make a little home where the feather will be kept. The Eagle feather must be fed. You feed the Eagle Feather by holding or wearing the feather at sacred ceremonies. By doing this the Eagle Feather is recharged with sacred energy. Never abuse, never disrespect, and never contaminate your Eagle Feather.

Photos by yours truly.

Just some thoughts on the eagle….and eagle feathers….

Years ago I found a really good resource….from a very unlikely source, the RCMP….as well as Correctional Services of Canada who also used….a guide to some of the various aspects of Native spirituality….here are is some from the website, Native Spirituality Guide, http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/pubs/abo-aut/spirit-spiritualite-eng.htm:

The Circle of Life

You have noticed that everything an Indian does is in a circle, and that is because the Power of the World always works in circles, and everything tries to be round. In the old days, when we were a strong and happy people, all our power came to us from the sacred hoop of the nation and so long as the hoop was unbroken, the people flourished.

The flowering tree was the living centre of the hoop and the circle of the four quarters nourished it. The East gave peace and light, the South gave warmth, The West gave rain and the North, with its cold and mighty wind gave strength and endurance. This knowledge came to us from the outer world with our religion. Everything the Power of the World does, is done in a circle. The sky is round and I have heard the earth is round like a ball and so are the stars. The Wind, in its greatest power whirls. Birds make their nests in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours. The sun comes forth and goes down again in a circle. The moon does the same and both are round. Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing and always come back again to where they were. The life of man is a circle from childhood to childhood and so it is in everything where power moves. Our Teepees were round like the nests of birds and these were always set in a circle, the nation ‘s hoop, a nest of many nests where the Great Spirit meant for us to hatch our children. ” – (Black Elk Speaks, pp. 198-200) Spiritual Advisor to the Oglala Sioux in 1930.

Sacred pipe, Medicine Bundles and Tobacco Roll

Traditions

Native cultures in their traditional nature are authentic and dynamic, fostering distinctive and sophisticated development. A sense of identity, pride and self-esteem are rooted in established spiritual principles.

Native spiritual life is founded on a belief in the fundamental inter-connectedness of all natural things, all forms of life with primary importance being attached to Mother Earth.

The Medicine Wheel

The symbol of the circle holds a place of special importance in Native beliefs. For the North American Indian, whose culture is traditional rather than literate, the significance of the circle has always been expressed in ritual practise and in art. The lives of men and women, as individual expressions of the Power of the World move in and are nourished by an uninterrupted circular/spiral motion. This circle is often referred to as the Medicine Wheel. Human beings live, breathe and move, giving additional impetus to the circular movement, provided they live harmoniously, according to the circle’s vibratory movement. Every seeker has a chance to eventually discover a harmonious way of living with their environment according to these precepts.

The Four Powers

Each of the four directions represents a particular way of perceiving things, but none is considered superior or more significant than the other. The emphasis is always placed on the need to seek and explore each of the four great ways in order to gain a thorough understanding of one’s own nature in relation to the surrounding world.

The four cardinal points of the circle transcend the mere compass directions. The directions themselves embody four powerful natural forces representing seasonal influences associated with various other powerful attributes.

North represents Wisdom. Its colour is white, its power animal is the buffalo and its gift is strength and endurance. From the South comes the gift of warmth and growth after winter is over, a place of innocence and trust. Its colour is green (or sometimes red), its power animal, the mouse. To the West is the place of introspection, of looking within one’s spirit. Its colour is black, its gift rain and its power animal the bear. The East is marked by the sign of the Eagle. Its colour is gold for the sun’s illumination, the new dawning sky and enlightenment. Its gift is peace and light.

Understanding the meaning of the Medicine Wheel depends on the concept that a person’s life consists of”conquering the four hills: Infancy, Youth, Maturity and Old Age. The four stages are celebrated in ritual as the four prime moments in life corresponding to the four directions.

The first hill is the South (innocence and trust) where the infant’s reception into life occurs. The second hill, that of introspection, in the West, becomes the youth’s solitary vigil and quest for vision. This first quest seeks the revelation of the Great Spirit’s manifestation and continuing presence.

This is the time when a power animal attribute enters a Native individual’s soul becoming a part of his or her name. (Sitting Bull, Black Elk, Crazy Horse and so on). It marks the beginning of the dweller within, the dreaming soul that contacts the higher spiritual planes bringing back visions that serve as fundamental guide posts in life. The hill of maturity lies to the North and represents the successful realization of ability and ambition. It is the place of recognition in which the pursuit of wisdom underlies and nourishes all action.

Sympathy with life itself grows in this quarter.

The final hill is that of old age situated in the East. It represents a quiet, reflective and meditative segment where the old ones now can pass on their knowledge to youth as they have mastered the meaning of joy and sorrow and the many other trials and tribulations encountered over the course of their existence.

Ceremonies

Ceremonies are the primary vehicles of religious expression. A ceremonial leader or Elder assures authenticity and integrity of religious observances. Nothing is written down, as the very writing would negate the significance of the ceremony. Teachings are therefore passed on from Elder to Elder in a strictly oral tradition.

Elders

Elders may be either men or women. Their most distinguishing characteristic is wisdom which relates directly to experience and age. There are exceptions. Elders need not be “old”. Sometimes the spirit of the Great Creator chooses to imbue a young native. Elders’ spiritual gifts differ. Some may interpret dreams. Others may be skilful in herbal remedies or be healers during a sweat lodge ceremony, and so on.

Pipes

Pipes are used during both private and group ceremonies, the prayer itself being wafted through the smoke of the burning plant material. Pipes are of no set length. Some stems may or may not be decorated with beads or leather. Others may be elaborately carved with bowls inlaid with silver. Bowls may be of wood, soapstone, inlaid or carved in the form of various totemic power animals (an eagle with folded wings) or another sacred animal.

The pipe is disassembled into its component parts while being carried from one place to another. The pipe is never a “personal possession”. It belongs to the community. The holder of the pipe is generally considered its custodian. While every native has the right to hold the pipe, in practise, the privilege must be earned in some religious way. The pipe is usually passed on to another custodian under specific fasting and cleansing rite regulations. There are pipes exclusively used by either men or women. Men’s pipes become unclean if touched by women and vice-versa.

The Pipe Ceremony

Pipe ceremonies constitute the primary group gatherings over which Elders preside. Participants gather in a circle. A braid of sweetgrass (one of four sacred plants) is lit and burnt as an incense to purify worshippers, before the pipe is lit. Burning sweetgrass also symbolizes unity, the coming together of many hearts and minds as one person.

Sacred Plants: Red Willow Bark, Sage, Calamus Root, Sweetgrass braid, Poplar leaves and Tobacco

The Elder strikes a match, puts it to the end of the sweetgrass braid and fans the smouldering grass with an eagle’s feather, to encourage smoke production. The Elder then goes from person to person in the circle where the smoke is drawn four times by hand gestures toward the head and down the body. The Elder must fan the glowing end to keep it burning properly or the material loses its spark.

The Elder then places tobacco in the pipe and offers it in the four sacred directions of the compass. Some Western tribes begin by making an offering to the West. Eastern Natives may propitiate the Spirit of the East whence comes the light of the sun at daybreak, who also gives guidance, direction and enlightenment. Then the Elder faces South where the guardian spirit of growth presides after winter is over. Next is West, the direction of the spirit gateway where reside the souls of those who have left this plane of existence. The spirit of the North concerned with healing and purification is then addressed.

Spirits will be asked for assistance in the main prayer, which may be specifically for one individual, a participant in the circle or for someone far away or someone who has passed over. The pipe, passed from person to person in the circle, might be offered to all creation, to those invisible spirit helpers who are always there to guide humanity. The last of the tobacco is offered to the Great Creator.

Another version of the Pipe Ceremony is the Sacred Circle which essentially follows the same procedures, but also allows a time period for individual participants to address the assembly.

Fasting

Fasting is a time-honoured way of quickening spirituality in which a growing number of Natives are partaking. An Elder provides the necessary ceremonial setting and conditions to guide the fasting member. Fasting means the total renunciation of food and drink for a specified time period.

Sweat Lodges

Used mainly for communal prayer purposes, the Sweat Lodge may also provide necessary ceremonial settings for spiritual healing, purification, as well as fasting. Most fasts require a sweat ceremony before and after the event.

Lodge construction varies from tribe to tribe. Generally, it is an igloo-shaped structure about five feet high, built in about one and a half hours from bent willow branches tied together with twine. The structure is then encased in blankets to preclude all light. A maximum of eight participants gather in the dark.

In the centre, there is a holy, consecrated virginal section of ground (untrampled by feet and untouched by waste material) blessed by an Elder with tobacco and sweetgrass. There, red hot stones heated in a fire outside the lodge are brought in and doused with water. A doorkeeper on the outside opens the lodge door four times, contributing four additional hot rocks (representing the four sacred directions) to the centre. A prepared pipe is also brought in.

Sweat Lodges may be dismantled after the ceremony is over, but often, they are left standing to accommodate the next ceremony. Lodges may only be entered in the presence of an Elder.

Feasting

Some ceremonies such as “doctoring” sweat require the participant to eat a meal. There are specific rituals requiring special foods. Sacred food for the Ojibway for instance consist of wild rice, corn, strawberries and deer meat. Typical feast foods for the Cree from the prairies would be Bannock (Indian Bread), soup, wild game and fruit (particularly Saskatoon berries or mashed choke cherries). For a West Coast Indian, sacred foods might include fish prepared in a special way. Although foods may differ, their symbolic importance remains the same.

Rattles

Rattles are shaken to call up the spirit of life when someone is sick. The Elder also uses a rattle to summon the spirits governing the four directions to help participants who are seeking spiritual and physical cleansing to start a “new” life during a sweat lodge ceremony.

Rattle or shaker

Drums

Drums represent the heartbeat of the nation, the pulse of the universe. Different sizes are used depending on “doctoring” or ceremonial purposes. Drums are sacred objects. Each drum has keeper to ensure no-one approaches it under the influence of alcohol or drugs. During ceremonies, no one may reach across it or place extraneous objects on it.

Drum

Sweetgrass Braid

Eagle Feathers

Spiritual Artifacts

A Manitoba Elder graciously provided some samples of a collection of spiritual artifacts used in sacred ceremonies. The collection, which appears in this guide, should not be construed as being “typical.” Contents in Medicine Bundles may vary considerably taking into account the cultural diversity of Aboriginal First Nations across Canada and the U.S.

Description

Eagles’ wings and feathers, rawhide gourds, drums, abalone shells, prayer cloths and prints are some of the more common objects in use, in addition to the pipe. Eagle wings and feathers are awarded for outstanding deeds. They may be worn in the hair or on a costume, but normally they are carried in the hand. Indians regard the eagle as a sacred bird. The eagle represents power, strength and loyalty. The four sacred plants, sweetgrass, sage, cedar and tobacco or kinniekinnick (red willow shavings) are also often worn in a “medicine” pouch around the neck or pinned onto clothing. Elders may have additional sacred items such as bear claws on a thong or badges that have been given as gifts during ceremonies.

This is just an overview….but it does provide some insights into various aspects of Native spirituality.

Fort Severn Canoe Project: Revisited A Year Later

Fort Severn First Nation, Ontario Canada:

A Washaho Cree Nation

56°00′37″N 87°35′09″W56.01028°N 87.58583°W

Located on Hudson Bay, Fort Severn is the northernmost community in Ontario. The legal name of the reserve is Fort Severn 89.

The general population of 401 (90 individual families in an area of 40 square kilometers) is linked, in winter, by an ice road called the Wapusk Trail to Peawanuck, Ontario to the east and to Shamattawa and Gillam, Manitoba to the west.

Today, the reserve is policed by the Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service, an Aboriginal-based service.

Fort Severn was built by the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1689, making it one of the earliest fur-trading posts in the New World.

In the early 20th century, the federal government, with full consent of tribal leaders of the time, negotiated a treaty with the First Nations and set aside land for a reserve in the Rocksand area at the confluence of the Severn and Sachigo rivers. In 1973, the reserve was relocated to the mouth of the Severn River on Hudson Bay, to allow for more direct access to shipping.

The reserve achieved full status in January, 1980.

A year ago a group of us went up in Fort Severn to restore Freighter canoes. We were supposed to just go up for a month….but it became much longer. The CBC covered our first month there on The National….their coverage of the Fort Severn Canoe Project was wonderful….although it was hard to see myself on a large screen TV (I forgot how ugly I was LOL LOL). Thankfully good looking guys like John Hupfield and Ian Devenney were also profiled LOL LOL.

Seriously though, Havard Gould told the story of what we were doing up there….or more to the point what Fort Severn was trying to do….I was pleased to see the story told with the focus on the community….not three guys who flew up to restore canoes.

In one of the promos to the broadcast the point was made: “restoring a community by restoring canoes”….and that is true….it was hoped that this project becomes an ongoing operation….and it did for most of last summer….a group restoring most of the rest of the canoes in Fort Severn….we even hoped to expand to nearby communities….hoped to build new canoes….maybe expanding to the production of snowshoes, toboggans, and even cradle boards. Unfortunately funding ran out. But far more than just the restoration of a few canoes…..we were able to train a few young men to carry on the skills of past generations….even providing employment….but also giving hope to the community.

Maybe more funding will be sought to go back up to Fort Severn to finish this canoe project off….but no matter I was proud to be part of a great team that included builders like John Hupfield, Doug Ingram and Pam Wedd….and will always be grateful to the people of Fort Severn who welcomed all of us….Matthew Kakekaspan the then chief….George Kakekaspan the band manager….elders like Stan and Ernest Thomas….carpenter Chris Koostachin (who told me I was ‘Ojiberrish’ since I was part Ojibway and part Irish)….people at the school like Sherry Curtis, Shirley Miles, Moses Kakekaspan (who renamed me “Noah” after another boatbuilder….or maybe because he wanted to tell me ‘Noooo-ahhhh’ after one of my jokes LOL LOL), Levius Miles and Kathleen Koostachin….and especially the guys in the shop: Kody Kakepetum, Herman Miles, George Thomas, Neil Howson and Sinclair Childforever….

As the CBC News website, http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/04/27/f-fort-severn-canoe-restoration.html, states:

Fort Severn First Nation works to save fleet of historic canoes 

It’s a restoration project rich in symbolism. What could be more Canadian than saving a canoe, particularly a huge canoe steeped in history, one that carried generations across the rivers of Northern Ontario and waters of Hudson Bay.

Fort Severn First Nation, located on the shore of the Severn River upstream from Hudson Bay, is the northernmost community in Ontario. It was founded as a fur trading post in the late 1600s, and canoes have been an integral part of the community’s subsequent history of hunting and trade.

But over the years, the isolated native community lost the skills needed to maintain its wooden canoes. The band recently decided to restore the craft that were so central to its history and teach the skills to a new generation. But the challenge was finding tens of thousands of dollars to fund the project, along with tools, material and restoration experts willing to spend weeks at a time working and teaching in the north.

The community teamed up with experts from southern Ontario and Manitoba in 2011, and work on the canoes started earlier this year. The team is planning to restore up to a dozen canoes — two have been finished, and they’ll be re-launched when the ice is out of the river.

As a result of the project, young people in Fort Severn First Nation are learning skills that make them proud of their heritage and which could also lead to much-needed jobs.

CBC’s Havard Gould traveled to Fort Severn in mid-April this year. Watch his video report at the top of this page to learn about the project and the impact it is having on both young and old in the community.

If you missed the story on The National, the whole piece is on video at http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/04/27/f-fort-severn-canoe-restoration.html. There is also added video of George Kakekaspan (Fort Severn band manager) discussing the role of the Freighter canoes in his community.

The camera of Mike Heenan….and the words of Havard Gould told this story so well….my thanks to CBC (especially in light of cutbacks) to allow two such professionals tell this truly Canadian story.

One thing I might add is that I’m not sure the skills were ever actually lost….maybe just hibernating….waiting for a chance to reawake.

As I ended a previous post: Canoes have a spirit….and take one on an incredible journey….to amazing places. Working on a wood canoe teaches much more than just how to patch up an old boat. And the canoes tell a story too….just by looking at the different ways (and different materials used….often whatever was available) that these old canoes had been ‘fixed’. One old Chestnut Freighter came in so twisted that we thought it was beyond repair….but after a few days in the warmth of the shop, it began to straighten out.

If we were able to add to that spirit….and to the community….then we  did our part. The canoe….and the people of Fort Severn along on its journey….did the rest….in fact hopefully more than we merely did.

Even long ago there were some men who could not make all the things that were needed. In each camp there were only a few who could make everything. The hardest thing to build was the canoe. The man who could make a canoe was very happy because the people depended on it so much. – John Kawapit Eastern Cree Great Whale River, Quebec

Building a canoe….or putting together a canoe project….is not without its challenges.

So late March 2012 the group I was part of finally (yes FINALLY LOL LOL) headed north to Fort Severn to undertake the restoration project of several wood canvas Freighter canoes….we left early from Toronto….flying to Thunder Bay….then to Sioux Lookout….and then onto Fort Severn….it took the whole day to get there (including layovers….and connecting flights)….we started work on building the shop….assembling the various wood working stationary power tools (bandsaw, table saw, etc.)….plus sorting out the various supplies (canvas, wood, etc.) and storing these….then bringing the canoes into the shop….and beginning the actual workshop/instruction course the next week.

We were supposed to be up for just a month….working on several of the Freighter canoes:

One of the canoes we worked on….

A Fort Severn band member with his canoe to be restored.

Photos by Ian Devenney.

How vthis all came to be was that initially Fort Severn contacted the Wooden Canoe Builders Guild with the following request:

We have twenty, 20ft square stern canoes in Fort Severn ON on the beautiful coast of the Hudson Bay, that need minor wood work and re-canvasing. This project would involve learning sessions, teaching members of the community the proper way to re-finish canvas canoes.

An important part of this project was for some of the Fort Severn band members to be taught how to do this work themselves. There was 6 or 7 band members involved….

This was certainly a rewarding project for everyone involved….and there was a lot of time and effort invested in it. Maybe more than we reckoned on at the start. We began planning for this project back in October 2011. We had to source out not only materials (such as wood and canvas) but also all of the tools – power and hand – needed for this work. We literally had to get everything needed for a complete canoe/wood working shop. Then we had to arrange to get everything up to Fort Severn….most of the tools and supplies went into Fort Severn via ice road….the last few items are being flown in. The ice road wasn’t open until late this year….and only open for a few weeks….so this added to the task. And added to our delay getting up there. We had originally hoped to be up there by mid-January….then February….but at long last we departed the end of March.

Our initial team was John Hupfield of Lost In The Woods Boatworks. As John’s website, http://lostinthewoods.ca/, states :

We’re a small shop out in the woods of Northern Ontario, Canada, and since 1991 have taken pride in building, repairing, and restoring all types of wooden craft. Our interest in wooden boats inspired research into early canoe designs, and in adapting those designs to the needs of contemporary paddlers. Along the way we rediscovered the advantages and fun of double-paddles and sailing rigs, and you might find them just as intriguing as we do!

Our product line includes lapstrake double-paddle canoes, which offer ultra-light weight (from only 30 lbs!), strength, durability, beauty, and outstanding performance for touring and recreational use. They are fast and easy to paddle. We also offer all kinds of sailing rigs for these canoes, and conversion kits so you can also sail your existing canoe. We ship everywhere. We also do custom building, and much of our work is still repairs and restorations of wood and wood-canvas canoes and other wooden boats.

Why wood? Besides being beautiful, wood is a renewable resource that we think is more in keeping with our enjoyment of the environment, and is a non-toxic alternative to the increasing use of toxic chemicals in recreational watercraft. It’s warmer and stiffer than synthetics, smells nice, is pleasant to work with, and is quieter on the water too. And by using modern building methods, hulls are extremely light, durable and easy to care for. It’s a myth that wooden boats are high maintenance!

John has years of experience in wood boat construction and restoration….and took on the role of master builder. (NOTE: John is also one of the organizers of the Killbear Paddlers’ Rendezvous….a not to miss paddling event in September.)

Ian Devenney, the co-founder of B.I.L.D. (Boatbuilding for Interpersonal and Life Development) youth canoe building/restoration program, also headed north. Ian is a certified Ontario teacher and outdoor educator with a background in working with troubled teens. He had recently completed his Master’s of Environmental Studies (York University), where he explored the impact of changing technologies on craftsmanship, art making and learning. He felt that embodied manual skill is a way of knowing and working in an increasingly neglected in an electronic world. Ian also began a business called Tangled Tree Industries.

The last member of the group was yours truly….and I wouldn’t bother (or bore) you with my ‘illustrious background’ (or lack thereof LOL LOL)….suffice to say I was no expert (besides an EXPERT is better defined as an ‘EX-SPURT’ or ‘a former drip under pressure’ LOL LOL)….kind of a jack of all trades (or at least several LOL LOL), master of none….maybe I can best define my role as ‘chief cook and bottle washer’….I wrote posts for here and elsewhere online….taking photos and video of the project’s progress….pitching in wherever I could with the actual work….and, for better or worse, I helped organize this project.

One member of our group that was very involved in getting this project together was Pam Wedd of Bearwood Canoes….Pam did not go up….but Pam was key to this project….we worked out some of the restoration techniques at her shop….her knowledge and experience was essential in developing the logistics….what we needed and where to get it….Pam went up in November to initially access the canoes and work needed (she went up with Ian)….so even though Pam was not there in person, she was very much a part of the project….certainly Pam will be there in spirit.

I want to thank Lynne Case and Doug Long of the Wooden Canoe Builders Guild for letting me know of this potential project….and for their support and advice….as well as other members of the Guild such as Bruce Smith….and also from other canoe builders such as Bill Miller, Doug Ingram, and Dick Persson.

So why did we do this project?

These canoes have been in use in the north for long enough that they can probably be considered to have heritage value. Certainly helping the Fort Severn band members to continue to use them, instead of turning to a more modern alternative, fit in with the mission of many of us:

1) to preserve the art and craft of wooden canoe bulding;

2) to pass on the skills of wooden canoe building through workshops, courses and apprenticeship programs;

3) to preserve the heritage and history of wooden canoes through education and restoration.

Since these are effectively the pick up trucks for the local people, they are work vehicles and don’t require a lot of fine finishing. It was hoped to be possible to turn the rest of the restoration work over to the Fort Severn band members after they have been instructed on the first two or three canoes. Working together as a team, our role was to facilitate this project.

The local youth  documented the project through video….

Here are some photos from that initial month:

       

Some photos of kids in school with Ian & I….canvassing another boat with detail of transom work re: canvas….Doug Ingram (of Red River Canoes) visiting and working in the shop; John in conference with Doug….some of the guys in the shop:

Here are some photos over the last few days last April….including some highlighting the work done….as well as our team:

There was an article in the CottageCountryNow, Rebuilding The Past One Canoe At A Time, http://www.cottagecountrynow.ca/news/article/1364499–rebuilding-the-past-one-canoe-at-a-time:

Rebuilding the past, one canoe at a time

By Sarah Bissonette

Rebuilding the past, one canoe at a time. The Fort Severn First Nation, in northern Ontario, is restoring 20 freight canoes with help from outside boat builders. Shown, a group of kids watch as a canoe is painted. Community elder Stanley Thomas, 76, works on his own canoe in the workshop with tools gathered and shipped north with help by Orrville canoe builder Pam Wedd. John Hupfield photo

NOTE: This is actually a photo of George Thomas (Stan’s son) and myself (the ‘old canoe guy’ but definitely not an elder LOL LOL) as we are painting the interior of Stan’s canoe….a basic utilitarian grey. Stan has been one of the community elders to work with us in Fort Severn.

CARLING TWP – John Hupfield bent into the cedar wood canoe to remove the last three metal screws in the keel before disappearing inside the house to fetch his computer filled with images from Fort Severn. He’d been to the Fort Severn First Nation this spring as part of an effort to restore 20 freight canoes, large enough for band members to put six caribou in during traditional hunts up the river.

The canoes range in age from 15 to 80 years old. They’re banged up after years of hard use, going through the rapids that lay between the reserve and hunting grounds. They have been mended with tarpaper and tarps in the past and now are in need of refurbishing. The band, said two local boat builders, had the money to buy new boats and not the skills to fix the canoes, but chose to use the money to bring in outsiders so its members could rediscover the skill of building and restoring the freight canoes.

The band, said Pam Wedd, of Bear Wood Canoes, first contacted the Wooden Canoe Builders Guild last summer about sending up members, but it wasn’t until the fall meeting in Orrville that the idea was sold to a few of them.

Initial visit

After a trip north in November, Wedd organized the purchase of band-funded supplies such as screwdrivers, sandpaper, canvas, cedar wood, ash wood and hammers from Parry Sound, and their shipment traveled north once the ice road opened in late winter 2012.

 “They pretty much just had a lumber yard and a table saw,” said Wedd.

Around this time Wedd brought Hupfield into the fold and he, along with two other men, headed north by airplane to the remote community. The truckload of supplies, said Hupfield, was the last to cross the ice road into the community before the ice road was closed for the season. The men, along with a handful of band members, turned a garage used to store a bulldozer and two Mack trucks into a woodworking shop and started in on the first 12 canoes. Band members were free to work on their own boats, with guidance, or learn the skills hands-on, starting with basic safety around woodworking tools.

“The band took some unemployed young men, so the gentlemen working with us are all (mostly) in their 20s, one guy was in his 40s and two guys were elders…they came and helped us,” said Hupfield. “We just took whatever boats people sent, they’d say ‘come get my boat’ or ‘can you get my boat’ and we took them until we had a full shop.”

Hupfield became smitten with Fort Severn, taking pictures of the smoke houses, high school, inn, the shop and surrounding countryside, even heading further north past the tree-line to where the river dumps into Hudson’s Bay. He described his weeks in the community and the experience of restoring four of the initial 12 canoes as “intense” and said he looks forward to returning on June 25. Before then, three young Fort Severn apprentices may come south for lessons with Hupfield.

“I took great pride and joy in doing it, it was really a happy experience,” said Hupfield. “They were very friendly, very hard working, very committed, and the people are marvelous…they’re always willing to work.”

Wedd also plans to return and put her canoe-building skills to work this fall.

“The most special thing in this whole thing is the band has chosen to refurbish these canoes, not just throw them out and bring in aluminum boats,” said Wedd.

“I just think it’s important, I think . . . keeping the old boats going is important, and I think for the band chief to do this is important.”

 Four boat builders are taking turns teaching the skill to the First Nation community. The goal is to finish all 20 boats by this fall, said Hupfield.

This was written about the two Parry Sound canoe builders very involved with the project: John Hupfield and Pam Wedd.

After this pilot project, the Fort Severn canoe project became an ongoing operation from mid-May to August 2012, when funding ran out (hopefully additional funds may eventually be found to continue). Our network of experienced canoe builders were brought in to oversee the operation of the shop, as well as educate band members on the restoration of these canoes. These are professional canoe builders with many years of experience, and included members of the Wooden Canoe Builders Guild and/or the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association. John Hupfield of Lost In The Woods Boat Shop, Doug Ingram of Red River Canoes, and myself were involved.

Doug Ingram of Red River Canoes became involved after an initial visit earlier in April (see photos above). Doug describes his shop as:

Lots of stuff goes on in this shop, located in Lorette, Manitoba.

Primarily it’s the building and repair of classic wood & canvas canoes, and the making of premium canoe paddles. I also do custom boat building, composite fabrication, and special projects. A growing passion of mine is the making of classical guitars….

We hoped that the project would become a long ongoing operation….with band members running….unfortunately that was not to be….even though there was lots more to do….canoes still to be restored….although we ended up doing about 14 canoes in total….especially in time for a trip in September with youth and elders….but it was hoped to maybe even make some cradle boards (tikinagans), snowshoes & toboggans….even build new canoes….restore canoes of nearby communities….

One of the men working on the Freighter canoes in Fort Severn brought in a book with photos from years ago….showing the different uses of these canoes….that are very much a part of the heritage and tradition of Fort Severn: