De Pan

Over the years I've posted on the various canoe-themed artwork of Cornelius Krieghoff (1815 – 1872). A 2010 writup discussed the paddle decoration on a well known painting - Indian Encampment at Falls.



A relatively new online exhibit, Heritage Passages, features some more detailed full-sized images of historic Canadian artwork no longer in copyright. Among them is this same painting, albeit listed with a different title. Unfortunately, the high resolution image (3.2mb jpg) is in greyscale.




Nonetheless, you can clearly make out the decorated paddle resting on the rolled pack cloth in the centre of the image, a further clue to the decorations on native paddles in this time period.

Paul Kane (1810-1871) was an Irish-born Canadian painter whose artwork serves as an insightful ethnographic record into the lives of First Nations people of the period. In a few of his paintings and sketches, canoe paddles can be seen oriented into a cooking tripod for use over an open fire.

In the pencil sketch entitled Indian Encampment, Sault Ste. Marie below, a single paddle is lashed with some saplings to form the tripod structure.


Indian Encampment, Sault Ste. Marie (Southeastern Ojibway)
August 1845

A sketch entitled Eleven Studies of Indian Life, includes a set of three paddles (lower left) illustrating another tripod image.


Eleven Studies of Indian Life, Southeastern Ojibway
Paul Kane (1810-1871)
Pencil on paper
14 cm x 21.5 cm
August 1845


Paddle Tripod Closeup

It seems these sketches were used in a full colour painting entitled, Indian Encampment at Georgian Bay around 1850. The paddle tripod is clearly visible on the left side of the image.


Indian Encampment at Georgian Bay
Library and Archives Canada, Acc. No. 1995-215-1
ca. 1850
It seems the First Nations used their paddles in a very utilitarian manner, often for more than the obvious role. I wouldn't be carrying 3 paddles on a solo canoe trip, but it is nonetheless an interesting bit of bushcraft history.

Found another slightly higher resolution image of a painting by Lieut. Robert Petley (1809-1869) previously posted back in 2010.



The higher resolution image shows some subtle chevron markings on the blade the paddle...

An article entitled, "Canadian Aboriginal Canoes" originally published in Canadian Field-Naturalist Vol XXXIII(2), May 1919 appears on Archive.org. The well written article features some wonderful illustrations of various bark canoe designs as well as sketch of some different paddles shapes (mostly NorthWest coast designs)

Here's a lovely illustration by Arthur Heming depicting a hardy voyageur  climbing up a steep slope. His tumpline is loaded with a crate and large sacks of supplies while a narrow paddle acts as a support stick.




Heming produced many voyageur themed artworks, each with long narrow paddles. This particular illustration was selected to visualize a description of a tough uphill portage by the canoe party in J.W. Tyrell's Across the sub-Artics of Canada available now on Archive.org

With Rod and Gun in New England and the Maritime Provinces by Edward A. Samuels (published 1897) has an image of a Mi'kmaq bark canoe with Guides paddling a Sport to some ideal fishing grounds.



A closeup of the stern paddler shows the artist captured a paddle without a distinct grip...



Live action video of Mi'kmaq paddlers using their distinctive humped ocean canoes can be seen in this earlier post HERE

This circa 1815 painting from P. Grant entitled Indian Encampment shows a decorated red paddle at the bottom right of the image. The style seems very similar to the vermillion hued paddles used by the Voyageurs documented by Frances Anne Hopkins as well as some of the historic art of David Wright.


INDIAN ENCAMPMENT
Watercolour, gouache over pencil
30.0 x 38.0 cm.
ca. 1815
Library and Archives Canada, Acc. No. R9266-4148


Paddle Closeup
Supposedly brightly coloured paddles made them more easy to find if dropped in the thick brush or were used as a way of personal identification. Difficult to tell from the angle, but it looks to have a bobble style grip.

Here's an interesting paddle illustration from The Micmac Indians of Eastern Canada by Wilson D. Wallis and Ruth Sawtell Wallis (1955) partially available for preview on Google Books. The chapter details a Mi'kmaq game called waltes which involved the use of carved counting sticks to keep track of the score.

The authors documented various shapes sticks including one accurately carved in the shape of a canoe paddle. Below the pear grip is a circular etching.