What Was The Birch Bark Canoe Used For?

The birchbark canoe was the primary means of water transportation for Indigenous peoples of the Eastern Woodlands and later voyageurs, who used it extensively in the fur trade in Canada. Light and maneuverable, birchbark canoes were perfect for summer travel through the network of waterways in their environment. They held immense significance in Anishinaabe culture and were used by the Ojibwa for travel over their countless waterways.

The construction of birchbark canoes required skill, and a remarkable canoe was built by many hands this summer under the guidance of one of the country’s few Mikmaq canoe builders. A frame is built that determines the size of the canoe, usually made of white cedar and placed on top of unrolled birch bark sheets. Two parts of sinew are used to string through the bottom of the canoe, pulling it through so the ends meet to the same length.

The birchbark canoe was used by both natives and non-natives for recreational hunting, fishing, and trading. It was more easily made, light, and portable, revolutionizing transportation in the Eastern Woodlands and were rapidly adopted by Europeans. The bark canoe began as a flat slab of bark, which was then trimmed and gently folded into a canoe shape. This type became synonymous with the Indian birchbark canoe in the public’s mind and was the model used for exploration, travel, and exploration.