Kefrospect 



L 



.N VIEW OF the inclusion of skin boats in this dis- 

 cussion of bark canoes, it may be well to emphasize 

 again the fact that the North American Indian's 

 method of constructing bark canoes and of temporary 

 skin canoes was on an entirely different principle 

 than that used by the Eskimo in building their skin 

 boats. This is even true of the kayak-form bark 

 canoes of the Northwest, despite their superficial simi- 

 larity in design and proportions to the Eskimo skin 

 kayak. 



As has been stated, the Eskimo construction re- 

 quired a rigid frame, with all members fastened to- 

 gether with lashings and pegs, the skin cover being 

 merely the watertight envelope and not a strength 

 member. This system of construction marks primitive 

 skin-boat design in most parts of the world. The 

 Indian bark construction, on the other hand, did 

 not have a rigid frame, and all but a few of the 

 structural members were held in place by pressure 

 alone: the sheathing was held against the bark cover 

 by pressure of the ribs; the stem-pieces, in most cases, 

 were held in place by pressure of the ribs, gunwale 

 sheering, or headboards. In fact without the bark 

 cover in place, the greater part of the wooden struc- 

 ture of the bark canoe would collapse. Not only 

 was the bark cover the fundamental basis of construc- 

 tion, it was to a great extent a strength member, 

 though by clever design the loading of the bark was 

 minimized. 



This fundamental difference in construction must 

 be recognized in comparisons of Eskimo and North 

 American Indian watcrcraft. Here, too, it might be 

 observed that one should view with skepticism any 

 claim, that widespread similarity of certain structural 

 practices is evidence of some ancient connection be- 

 tween types of canoes. In most cases these similarities 

 were imposed by the working characteristics of the 

 materials employed. Similarly, limitations in mate- 

 rials available for construction have their effect upon 

 building techniques. 



The practice of employing pressure members in 

 bark-canoe construction, particularly where birch 

 bark was employed, was the result of the need to 

 stretch this material by gentle and widespread pres- 

 sure, whereas the skin cover could be stretched by 

 the concentrated pull of stitching alone, or by force 

 applied in a small area. Bark canoes built in areas 

 where skin-kayak construction is carried on nearby 

 show a greater rigidity of structure. Thus, in the 

 lower Yukon Valley in Alaska the bottom frame of 

 the canoes built there was a rigidly constructed unit, 

 even though the side longitudinals were held in place 

 by rib pressure alone. And it is reasonable to 

 theorize that the Malecite, who through habit still 

 employed bark-canoe construction practices in build- 

 ing their skin craft, would have eventually come to 

 the Eskimo method of construction had conditions 

 required them to use skins exclusively. 



Large Moosehide Canoe of upper Gravel River, Mackenzie 

 valley. {Photo, George M. Douglas.) 



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