Sturgeon-nosed canoe
Encyclopedia
The Sturgeon-nosed Canoe, also known as a Koontenay Canoe or Kootenay-nosed Canoe was a distinctive canoe
style used by the Sinixt
, Ktunaxa and Kalispel
First Nations in Interior British Columbia
, and the Pacific Northwest
into the last century.
, the first scientific traveller to visit the Arrow Lakes
wrote about the Sinixt People his 1827 journal: "The canoes of the natives here are different in form from any I have seen before ... The under part is made of the fine bark of Pine
(Pinus canadensis) and about one foot from the gunwale of birch-bark, sewed with the roots of Cedar
(Thuya) and the seams neatly gummed with resin
from the pine. They are 10 to 14 ft long, terminating at both ends sharply and bent inwards so much at the mouth that a man of middle size has some difficulty in placing himself in them. One that will carry six persons and their provisions may be carried on the shoulder with little trouble http://www.firstnations.de/invasion.htm?02-4-sinixt.htm
The Sturgeon-nosed Canoe was designed with a reversed prow to be most suitable for travel through bulrushes, and maneuverable in turbulent waters.
Author Eileen Delehanty Pearkes records in her book about the Sinixt, The Geography of Memory that ethnographer William Elmendorf recorded the process of making a Sturgeon-nosed Canoe based on a description by Sinixt Nation elder Nancy Wynecoop: The mature tree must be felled in spring, when the sap is running. The outer bark is scraped off, then the inner bark is split and peeled off the heartwood in one sheet. The outside shape of the canoe is marked on the ground with stakes. Poles used for the gunwales are fastened to these stakes. Next, willow
ribs are fastened to the gunwales, using willow bark twine. The bark is then sewn onto the ribs, using cedar root. An additional layer of bark is fastened less securely on to the outer side of the craft. All seams are glues with warm pine pitch. One the bow and stern of the canoe, the bark is folded over rings of willow. Extra layers are added for strength, shaped into a point, and sewn. A frame of woven poles is placed in the bottom of the canoe and covered with loose grass to sit on
Elmendorf also refers to a ceremony, including dancing, fasting and sweatbathing, held by Sinixt men prior to the building of a new canoe. The purpose of the ceremony was to make the group "more agreeable with each other and focus their energy
The "Sturgeon-nose" design is unique to North American canoes, but craft of similar design were discovered in the Amur River region of Siberia
in the mid-19th century
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
style used by the Sinixt
Sinixt
The Sinixt are a First Nations People...
, Ktunaxa and Kalispel
Kalispel
Kalispel may refer to:* Pend d'Oreilles , a tribe of Native Americans* Kalispel-Pend d'Oreille, the language of the Pend d'Oreilles tribe* Kalispell, Montana, a city in the United States...
First Nations in Interior British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, and the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
into the last century.
History and Design
Scottish botanist David DouglasDavid Douglas
David Douglas was a Scottish botanist. He worked as a gardener, and explored the Scottish Highlands, North America, and Hawaii, where he died.-Early life:...
, the first scientific traveller to visit the Arrow Lakes
Arrow Lakes
The Arrow Lakes in British Columbia, Canada, divided into Upper Arrow Lake and Lower Arrow Lake, are widenings of the Columbia River. The lakes are situated between the Selkirk Mountains to the east and the Monashee Mountains to the west. Beachland is fairly rare, and is interspersed with rocky...
wrote about the Sinixt People his 1827 journal: "The canoes of the natives here are different in form from any I have seen before ... The under part is made of the fine bark of Pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
(Pinus canadensis) and about one foot from the gunwale of birch-bark, sewed with the roots of Cedar
Thuja plicata
Thuja plicata, commonly called Western or pacific red cedar, giant or western arborvitae, giant cedar, or shinglewood, is a species of Thuja, an evergreen coniferous tree in the cypress family Cupressaceae native to western North America...
(Thuya) and the seams neatly gummed with resin
Resin
Resin in the most specific use of the term is a hydrocarbon secretion of many plants, particularly coniferous trees. Resins are valued for their chemical properties and associated uses, such as the production of varnishes, adhesives, and food glazing agents; as an important source of raw materials...
from the pine. They are 10 to 14 ft long, terminating at both ends sharply and bent inwards so much at the mouth that a man of middle size has some difficulty in placing himself in them. One that will carry six persons and their provisions may be carried on the shoulder with little trouble http://www.firstnations.de/invasion.htm?02-4-sinixt.htm
The Sturgeon-nosed Canoe was designed with a reversed prow to be most suitable for travel through bulrushes, and maneuverable in turbulent waters.
Author Eileen Delehanty Pearkes records in her book about the Sinixt, The Geography of Memory that ethnographer William Elmendorf recorded the process of making a Sturgeon-nosed Canoe based on a description by Sinixt Nation elder Nancy Wynecoop: The mature tree must be felled in spring, when the sap is running. The outer bark is scraped off, then the inner bark is split and peeled off the heartwood in one sheet. The outside shape of the canoe is marked on the ground with stakes. Poles used for the gunwales are fastened to these stakes. Next, willow
Willow
Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
ribs are fastened to the gunwales, using willow bark twine. The bark is then sewn onto the ribs, using cedar root. An additional layer of bark is fastened less securely on to the outer side of the craft. All seams are glues with warm pine pitch. One the bow and stern of the canoe, the bark is folded over rings of willow. Extra layers are added for strength, shaped into a point, and sewn. A frame of woven poles is placed in the bottom of the canoe and covered with loose grass to sit on
Elmendorf also refers to a ceremony, including dancing, fasting and sweatbathing, held by Sinixt men prior to the building of a new canoe. The purpose of the ceremony was to make the group "more agreeable with each other and focus their energy
The "Sturgeon-nose" design is unique to North American canoes, but craft of similar design were discovered in the Amur River region of Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
in the mid-19th century