Figure 7 



White cedar Black spruce 



Wood ~ spl i++inq +echniqijes 



of the proper wood was therefore a vital consideration. 

 In most sections of the bark canoe area, the northern 

 white cedar was the most sought-for wood for canoe 

 construction. This timber had the excellent charac- 

 teristic of splitting cleanly and readily when dry and 

 well-seasoned. As a result, the Indian could cither 

 utilize fallen timber of this species, windblown or 

 torn up in spring floods; with the crude means avail- 

 able he chould fell a suitable tree well in advance of 

 his needs; or he could girdle the tree so that it would 

 die and season on the stump and then fell it at his 

 convenience. If split properly, ribs of white cedar 

 could be bent and set in shape by the use of hot water. 

 In many areas the ribs, sheathing, and the gunwale 

 members of bark canoes were made of this wood, as 

 were also the headboards and stem pieces. 



Black spruce was also employed, as it too would 

 split well, although only when green. This wood 

 also required a different direction in splitting than the 

 white cedar. Ribs of black spruce could be bent and 

 set in shape when this was done while the wood was 

 green. In some areas black spruce was used in place 

 of white cedar for all parts of a bark canoe structure. 



Hard maple (usually either Acer saccharum Marsh, 

 or A. nigrum Michx.), can be split rather easily while 

 green; this wood was used for the crosspieces or 

 thwarts that hold the gunwales apart and for paddles. 

 Larch, particularly western larch [Larix occidentalis 

 Nutt.), was used in some areas for canoe members. 

 White and black ash (Fraxinus americana L. and F. 

 nigra Marsh.), were also used where suitable wood of 

 these species was available. In the northwest, spruce 

 and various pines were employed, as was also willow 

 (Salix). It should be noted that the use of many 

 woods in bark canoe construction can be identified 

 only in the period after steel tools became available; 

 it must be assumed that the range of selection was 

 much narrower in prehistoric times. 



To make a bark cover watertight, it is necessary to 

 coat all seams and to cover all "sewing" with a 

 waterproof material, of which the most favored by the 

 Indians was "spruce gum," the resin obtained from 

 Ijlack or white spruce {Picea mariana or P. glaiica 

 (Moench) Voss). The resin of the red spruce {Picea 

 rubens Sarg.) was not used, so far as has been dis- 

 covered. The soft resin was scraped from a fallen 

 tree or from one damaged in summer. Spruce gum 

 could be accumulated by stripping a narrow length 

 of bark from trees early in the spring and then, during 

 warm weather, gathering the resin that appeared at 

 the bottoms of the scars thus made. It was melted or 

 heated in various ways to make it workable and cer- 

 tain materials were usually added to make it durable 

 in use. 



The most important aids to the Indian in canoe 

 construction were his patience, knowledge of the 

 working qualities of materials, his manual skill with 

 the crude cutting, scraping, and boring instruments 



Stone axe 



17 



