American Indians prepare for PowWow with woodcrafts
Submitted on August 8, 2005 - 12:00am.
Ansley Haman - Summer 2005
WASHINGTON – Patrick Almenas, a Penobscot Indian from Maine, demonstrated the construction of a birch bark canoe as visitors to the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian huddled around him Monday.
They came to see the18-foot canoe that took more than 500 hours to complete.
A single piece of light summer birch bark stretched around cedar slats, which formed the ribs. Spruce roots tied the pieces, which were sealed with pine pitch. Pieces of darker winter birch bark with American Indian symbols etched into them decorated the edges.
Almenas and his crew built the boat as part of a Penobscot Indian Nation birch canoe program, which aims to teach the craft to reservation residents in Old Town, Maine. The canoe is on display for a week in the Potomac Atrium of the museum, which will soon celebrate its first anniversary.
They came to see the18-foot canoe that took more than 500 hours to complete.
A single piece of light summer birch bark stretched around cedar slats, which formed the ribs. Spruce roots tied the pieces, which were sealed with pine pitch. Pieces of darker winter birch bark with American Indian symbols etched into them decorated the edges.
Almenas and his crew built the boat as part of a Penobscot Indian Nation birch canoe program, which aims to teach the craft to reservation residents in Old Town, Maine. The canoe is on display for a week in the Potomac Atrium of the museum, which will soon celebrate its first anniversary.
Full text available to subscribers only.