Birch Bark Canoe Build (Continued)

The birch bark canoe build at the Ziibiwing Center of Anishinabe Culture & Lifeways (6650 E. Broadway, Mt. Pleasant) continues this week.  The goal is not just to build a canoe, but also to keep the knowledge and teaching related to canoe- building alive in the community.  Everyone is welcome to participate in the build - just show up at the Ziibiwing Center during the hours of 9:00AM and 6:00PM.  They expect to be working on the canoe for at least the the rest of this week, but may continue into another week if the project is not finished by Saturday.


I have already shared pictures from my two visits to the build last week.  I stopped in again on Monday and Tuesday and the progress has really been moving along rapidly.  As of Monday, the hull was completely stitched to the gunwales, the wooden manboards and stem pieces had been installed in the canoe, the rocks and temporary wooden frame had been removed from inside the canoe.

Fitting the manboard and stem piece

A view of the stem piece

A view of the manboard

A hand thwart stitched to the gunwales

A model of a manboard (top) and stem board (bottom) showing how they are connected

By Tuesday the canoe was up off the floor and placed upside down on saw horses.  The excess bark at the bow and stern had been trimmed away and they were in the process of stitching the bark together to the stem pieces.  They were also busy stitching together seams and cracks in the hull.

The ends were pinned together with cedar pegs and temporarily stitched

Stitching the end together with split spruce root lashings

The completed stitching

A crack in the hull stitched with spruce root - this will be sealed with pitch later

I will be stopping throughout the rest of the week to see the remainder of the process and will post further pictures of the build as it progresses.