Coastal Tranportation 1. Makah The Makah were highly skilled mariners, using sophisticated navigational and maritime skills, they were able to travel the rough waters of the Pacific Ocean and the swift waters of the strait of Juan de Fuca with relative ease. They used various types of canoes. Carved from western red cedar, there were canoes used for a myriad of purposes, each one specifically created for that task. There were war, whaling, halibut, salmon fishing, sealing canoes and large cargo canoes. There were even smaller canoes which children used for practice. The canoes had sails so that paddlers could use the wind to their advantage. When they landed, it was done stern first so that, if necessary, the paddlers could make a quick exit. The canoes and their contents were never disturbed as the Makah were taught from an early age to respect the belongings of others. The Makah were tireless paddlers and traveled great distances to obtain food or trade their wealth. Source: http://www.makah.com/history.html 2. The coastal indigenous people of the Northwest Coast of North America, from Oregon to Southeast Alaska, were the makers of canoes from the western red cedar tree. These people made several varieties of the best canoes ever fashioned. Early explores and missionaries were impressed by the construction, sophistication, size, speed and grace of such fragile looking canoes. With the thick forest, dense brush of the Northwest coast and the amount of goods to be carried to summer fishing sites, much of the traveling was done by water. Old growth western red cedar trees ranging from 300 to 800 years old were used and would determine the size of a canoe. In selecting a tree the importance of guarding spirit, purification rituals, suitable size, straight grain, no limbs on one side (to have fewer knots) and the ease of getting to the beach would determine if the tree could be used. Trees along rivers, lakes or drift logs washed upon the beach were the ideal for getting the
tree to the village of the carver. A tree that was further inland would after falling be ruffed out, left in the woods to cure for a year and then with the help of family and friends moved to the beach. Old growth western red cedar has a tendency to be soft or rotten at the core, sounding out the tree to assure the soundness of the core is important. The rot at the trees core should be avoided, a sound core gives strength of the bow and stern. Specialist in canoe building made the larger canoes. Anyone could build the smaller dugouts and river canoes. Before becoming a canoe carver he would dream, talk and have a guarding spirit song for the tree. A canoe carver when searching for a tree might listen for the chop-chop sound of a supernatural assistant working on his canoe. Among the British Columbia Salish people, the woodpecker, especially the northern pileated redhead, was the most common dream spirit of canoe builders. The ancient ways of felling a tree were by chiseling or controlled burning. Once the shape is formed and adzed, then canoe is ready to be steamed. Steaming is the final shaping of the canoe and is very curial. If the steaming is done wrong the canoe may crack or split in half. Starting early in the morning, rocks are heated to red hot in a fire pit not far from the outside of the canoe hull. Water is poured into the bottom of the canoe the hot rocks are dropped into the water. Using paddles or sticks the boiling water is washed up the sides of the canoe to help speed the softening. Mats (or a plastic sheet) are then placed over the canoe helping the steam soften the sides (almost lost the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribal Salish style canoe when steaming, softened so fast came close to splitting). The out side bottom may be scorched with lighted torches to add heat and harden the wood. When the sides start to spread thwarts are used to form the shape and are lashed into place. Once the canoe cools the thwarts will hold the shape and may be used for seats. Before epoxy sealer heated dogfish oil would be rubbed into the canoe inside and out. The life span of a canoe if used hard maybe only ten years, if used only on occasion and well cared for, thirty or more years.
When traveling in a canoe sails are often used. There are differing opinions regarding the use of sails before contact. Boas stated that the wood slat sail was the type Native people of the Northwest Coast used before contact. Thin split western red cedar wood slat boards were sewn together (12 square feet for use on a 35 foot traveling canoe). There were sails made of woven cattail, rush, cedar bark, as well as the cedar boards. With contact the canvas sails were a highly prized trade item. Not having a keel or rudder, the canoe could not quarter or sail into the wind, but a stiff following breeze propelled canoes with welcome speed. All canoes would have bailers. They may be made out of western red cedar bark, a handle across the top with the bark attacked at each end of the handle. A bailer may also be carved in the shape of a sheep horn spoon or the top of a bent wood box. Source: http://www.jamestowntribe.org/history/hist_canoe.htm 3. Below lists characteristics of the aboriginal life of the 13 tribes who moved to the Tulalip Indian Reservation: Transportation Canoes are distinguished by the shape of their hull and size. The Trolling Canoe: Carries two to three people; Primarily used for hunting and fishing; Considered to be a swift canoe. The One Man Canoe: Designed for one person; A swift canoe; Light enough to be carried over distances; Used for fishing and hunting ducks. The Large Canoe (The West Coast Canoe): Held six to 15 people; Painted black on the outside and red on the inside; Primarily used for traveling. The Shovel-Nose Canoe: Fast canoe with a flat bottom; Bow and stern alike; Commonly used for river travel and fishing. Source: http://www.tulaliptribes-nsn.gov/home/whoweare/heritage.aspx
4. Quileute man named Talicas Eastman making a canoe, Quileute Reservation, Washington, 1905 Source: http://content.lib.washington.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?cisoroot=%2floc&cisoptr=1603&dmscale=100&d MWIDTH=802&DMHEIGHT=632.828125&DMMODE=viewer&DMFULL=1&DMX=0&DMY=0&DMTEXT=%2520art*%25 20totem&DMTHUMB=0&REC=19&DMROTATE=0&x=282&y=344
5. Makah man carving canoe on beach, Washington, 1914 Source : http://content.lib.washington.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?cisoroot=%2floc&cisoptr=2111&dmscale=100&dmwidth=802&dmheig HT=647.44791666667&DMMODE=viewer&DMFULL=1&DMX=0&DMY=0&DMTEXT=%2520art*%2520totem&DMTHUMB=0&REC=17&DMR OTATE=0&x=517&y=23
6. Quinault man using plane to smooth side of canoe near Lake Quinault, Washington Source : http://content.lib.washington.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?cisoroot=/loc&cisoptr=2113&cisobox=1&rec=19
7. Coast Salish canoe in Port Townsend Bay, ca. 1900 The Coast Salish style canoe with its split prow evolved for use on Puget Sound and nearby waters. Both the prow and the stern curved upwards to create an efficient and beautiful craft. The Klallam, a Coast Salish group, lived in and around Port Townsend on Washington's Olympic Peninsula. Source: http://content.lib.washington.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?cisoroot=/loc&cisoptr=55&cisobox=1&rec=12
8. Clallam Indians (the Hicks family) pose with canoe near Chimacum Creek, Washington, ca. 1914 Older woman in head scarf & shawl over her shoulders stands at the prow of a beached canoe, ca. 1908-1920. Two men & a woman pose inside the canoe with paddle & spear, a man in his shirt sleeves stands beind them. Various small houses visible in the background. Source : http://content.lib.washington.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?cisoroot=/loc&cisoptr=2068&cisobox=1&rec=11
9. Dugout canoe with two sails, ca. 1900 By the turn of the century, indigenous seafarers adapted cloth sails, usually of the sprit-rig type common on sailing ships' longboats. Traditional sails of woven mats and wood slats had been used prior to the arrival of Europeans, but they were replaced by cloth once the native peoples began bartering with the newcomers. This photograph was probably taken in Port Townsend Bay or along the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Source: http://content.lib.washington.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?cisoroot=/loc&cisoptr=56&cisobox=1&rec=14
10. Sightseers watching a canoe at Moclips, Washington, 1914 In this photo, taken at a popular oceanside resort, spectators look on as a group of Quinault paddlers heads out through the surf in a large cedar dugout canoe. Such an event would have been an extraordinary experience for tourists even at this time period.