United States History Student Edition

B Birchbark and Dugout Canoes

Outside the Far North, where the kayak was developed, many Native Americans built canoes for travel on water. Native Americans in the Northeast Woodlands and the Great Lakes areas crafted birchbark canoes. These canoes were lightweight, so they were easy to carry. Construction of a birchbark canoe begins with a frame of curved wooden slats that give the vessel its shape. A skin of bark peeled from birch trees is attached on the outside of the frame. Supports and seats may be added crosswise inside the canoe. The image on the left (B1) shows a canoe built in the style that was used by the Cree people. Dugout canoes were used across North America, including for ocean travel near the coasts. A dugout canoe is made by carving out the insides of a single large tree. Cross supports are made by simply carving around them. The Cherokee made dugout canoes 40 feet (12.2 m) long that could seat 20 men. The exterior was coated with bear grease to make it waterproof. The image on the right (B2) shows a dugout canoe on display in St. Augustine, Florida.

PRIMARY SOURCES: ARTIFACTS

B1

B2

EXAMINE THE SOURCES 1. Comparing and Contrasting Compare and contrast the physical features of these two types of canoes. How does their construction signify differences in the environments of their builders? 2. Drawing Conclusions Why might canoes have been important to the lifestyles of Native Americans across the continent?

(l)gary warnimont/Alamy Stock Photo, (r)McGraw-Hill Education

23

The First Americans