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Baidarka

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	Baidarka
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	Topics Baidarka Topic Home Baidarka is the name sometimes used for AleutAleut The Aleuts are the indigenous people of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, United States and Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia... ian style sea kayakSea kayak A Sea kayak or touring kayak is a kayak developed for the sport of paddling on open waters of lakes, bays, and the oce... . The word has its origins from early RussianRussians Russians are an East Slavic ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries.... settlers in AlaskaAlaska Alaska is a U.S. state, located on the northwest tier of North America.... . A prominent feature of a baidarka is its forked bowBow (ship) Summary The bow is the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat: the point that is ahead when the vessel is underway.... (bifurcated bow). Very lightweight and maneuverable, it was made out of sealPinniped Pinnipeds are large marine mammals belonging to the former biological suborder Pinnipedia of the order Carnivora.... skin sewed only by Aleut women, over a frame made strictly by the men of driftwoodDriftwood Driftwood is wood that has been washed onto a shore or beach, of a sea or river, by the action of winds, tides or waves.... (since no trees grow in the Aleutian IslandsAleutian Islands The Aleutian Islands are a chain of more than 300 small volcanic islands forming an island arc in the Northern Pacific Ocea... ), bone and sinew. It was treated as a living being by Aleut men (it was taboo for women to handle them). In modern times, George DysonGeorge Dyson (science historian) George Dyson is a scientific historian, the son of Freeman Dyson, brother of Esther Dyson, and the grandson of Sir George Dy... is often credited with the revival of the baidarka, through his company Dyson, Baidarka & Company. Dyson and his boats were the subject of Kenneth BrowerKenneth Brower Kenneth Brower is the author of the book The Starship and the Canoe.... 's book The Starship and the Canoe (Ref. 1), and Dyson himself wrote the book Baidarka in 1986 (Ref. 2). Dyson's Baidarkas are made from modern materials such as aluminium for the frame and coated polyester fabric for the skin. Baidarka is the name sometimes used for sea kayaks from the Aleutian Islands and Alaska Peninsula. The word is Russian, and the more ancient word is "iqyak". The people who have lived in this region of the world for thousands of years called themselves "Unungan" meaning "people who lived by the side of the sea". The Unungan men built the kayaks by carving the wooden frames from driftwood using stone tools made from volcanic rocks as well as tools made from bone, ivory, and wood. The men designed the kayak frames to be light, fast, and flexible, tying together the wooden parts with intricate and spiritual knots braided from tough animal sinew. Unungan women prepared sea lion skins which they sewed onto the frames with bone needles, using a waterproof stitch. While out at sea, men carried with them emergency repair kits. For the Unungan, the sea kayaks lived as spiritual beings and were essential for their survival. From early ages, Unungan boys were trained in the use of skin kayaks. External links