Showing posts with label Mikmaq. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mikmaq. Show all posts
Tuesday, 29 October 2013
Maliseet Mikmaq Museum Paddles
Here are some new pics of two East Coast museum paddles courtesy of Lloyd of Canoe Canada East. They were posted over on the SongofthePaddle.co.uk forums a while back. One of them is a paddle I've featured here before (see posts here, here, and here). It seems the museum has changed its name from the York Sunbury to the Fredericton Region Museum. Either way, thanks to Lloyd's photography abilities, we now have 3 more clear shots of the delicate etching on this c. 1878 paddle.
At the Halifax Maritime Museum, Lloyd took some shots of an ocean hunting Mi'kmaq canoe and antique paddle on display. The paddle has warped with time, but the flattened grip and carved drip rings are just visible in the shots. For some old time footage of how such a canoe was used in ocean hunting, check out my earlier post HERE showcasing a 1936 film, "The Porpoise Hunter". The style of canoe on display with its low rounded ends is virtually identical to the one in the film .
On a side not, be sure to visit Lloyd's Canoe Canada East site which features some great DIY canoe related projects. In particular, it was his tutorial on making a canvas portage pack that was a major source of inspiration & instruction for my own Woods No.200 canvas pack restoration back in '09.
Wednesday, 7 November 2012
Mikmaq Bark Canoe
Todd "Waterdancer" Labrador is a seventh generation Mi'kmaq who builds birch bark canoes in his native tradition. Mi'kmaq canoes have a very unique design, included very blunt, rounded ends, a lack of a stempiece or headboard support, and a tendancy to use continuous lashing around a single round gunwale. It's interesting to see all the various tribal adaptations to the basic design of the bark canoe.
Adney's plan for a Mi'kmaq Canoe
Setting the ribs
Finished hull with continuous lashing
Upright paddling
More of Todd's creations can be seen at www.waterdancer.netfirms.com
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
Historic Photos Mikmaq Guides Paddles
From this great Virtual Exhibit by the Nova Scotia Archives come some pictures of Mi'kmaq bark canoes and paddles
Mi'kmaq Guides with Party of Sportsmen Fishing from Four Canoes, Digby County
Date: May 1899
Photographer: J.A. Irvine
FULL Citation
Paddle Grip Closeup
Indian Encampment outside Dartmouth, NS
Date: ca. 1900
Photographer: W.L. Bishop
FULL Citation
Paddle Closeup
Mi'kmaq guides from Bear River at camp near Weymouth, N.S.
Date: ca. 1893
Photographer: J.A. Irvine
FULL CITATION
Paddle Closeup
Images courtesy of Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management, Halifax, NS as per their non-commercial use policy
Monday, 1 August 2011
Historic Paddle Illustration Mikmaq Waltes Paddle Counter
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.
Source: Wilson D. Wallis and Ruth Sawtell Wallis
The Micmac Indians of Eastern Canada (1955), pg. 198
Google Book Preview Link
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
