Birch bark canoe

[zenmonkeyman]

I'm only 15 minutes into this birch bark canoe buildalong filmed in 1971 on a Cree reserve north of Montreal.  It's an hour long and it's incredible!  Just had to pause and share:

http://www.nfb.ca/film/Cesars_Bark_Canoe/

[zenmonkeyman]

Now THAT.  Was an hour well-spent.  Cesar was a man of amazing skill, and I think I'm going to have to ditch you chumps and dedicate my life to the "primitivecanoe.com" forum for a while.    LOL!!!  Throughout the movie, I'm thinking to myself, "I can do this"... "I can do that"... Then Cesar started splitting cedar planks with a jacknife until he had strips about 8' long, 6" wide, and 1/8th" thick.    You have to see it to believe it.  Oh, and I do believe the race will be on to make spruce root handle wraps!!!

[bryan irwin]

that was amazing im ready to go cut down a burch tree 

[sailordad]

that was amazing im ready to go cut down a burch tree 

well come on over then
i have one on the property line.i keep teling the neighbor its his(its on his side of the line)and he keeps telling me its mine
i tell him to get rid of it,and he tells me to get rid of it
i hate that damn mess making tree 

[bryan irwin]

if it wasn't so far to drive .

[Marc St Louis]

That is interesting.  There's an Ojibwa elder by the name of William Commanda that's coming to an Algonquin gathering this weekend. He is supposed to have built over 100 Birch bark canoes

[zenmonkeyman]

Here's a simpler canoe, reminds me of the Sam Harper Poorfolk bows buildalong:  This one renews hope I could do this myself!

http://www.jumaka.com/birchbarkcanoe/buildingpage/building.htm

[jamie]

i had an elm tree put aside to build a bark canoe with. unfortunately i needed the bark for a wigwam. still looking. although the heavier barks are tougher to work with they require a lot less ribs when putting them together. a good friend of mine has built canoes with birch , elm and fir. all with primitive tools. im diein to make one. gotta keep looking for the right tree. cool vid by the way