Sturgeon-nosed canoe facts for kids

The sturgeon-nosed canoe is a special type of canoe. People also called it the Kootenay Canoe or Kootenay-nosed Canoe. In the Ktunaxa language, it was called yaqsuʔmiǂ. This unique canoe was used by First Nations groups like the Sinixt, Ktunaxa, and Kalispel. These groups lived in places like Interior British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest. This special canoe was used even into the 1900s.

History of the Sturgeon-Nosed Canoe

Early Discoveries and Design

A Scottish botanist named David Douglas was one of the first scientists to visit the Arrow Lakes. In 1827, he wrote about the Sinixt People in his journal. He noted how different their canoes looked from any he had seen before.

Douglas described the canoes as being 10 to 14 feet long. They had sharp ends that bent inwards. This made it a bit tricky for a person to get inside. He also mentioned that a canoe big enough for six people could be carried easily on one's shoulder.

The bottom part of these canoes was made from pine bark. The top part, near the edge (called the gunwale), was made from birch bark. The pieces were sewn together using cedar roots. The seams, or joins, were sealed tightly with sticky pine resin.

Why the Design Was Special

The sturgeon-nosed canoe had a unique shape. Its front (prow) was reversed, meaning it curved inwards. This design was perfect for moving through thick plants like bulrushes. It also made the canoe easy to steer in fast-moving or rough water.

How Sturgeon-Nosed Canoes Were Made

Author Eileen Delehanty Pearkes wrote a book about the Sinixt called The Geography of Memory. In her book, she shared how these canoes were built. She got this information from ethnographer William Elmendorf, who learned it from Sinixt elder Nancy Wynecoop.

The process started in the spring when the sap was flowing in the trees. A mature tree was cut down. The outer bark was scraped off. Then, the inner bark was carefully peeled off the tree in one large sheet.

The shape of the canoe was marked out on the ground using stakes. Poles for the gunwales (the top edges of the canoe) were tied to these stakes. Next, flexible willow branches were used to make the ribs of the canoe. These ribs were fastened to the gunwales with twine made from willow bark.

The large sheet of bark was then sewn onto these willow ribs using cedar roots. An extra layer of bark was added to the outside for more strength. All the seams were sealed with warm pine pitch, which is a sticky substance from pine trees.

At the front and back of the canoe, the bark was folded over willow rings. More layers were added to make these parts strong and pointed. A frame of woven poles was placed at the bottom of the canoe. Loose grass was put on top of this frame for people to sit on.

The Canoe Building Ceremony

Before building a new canoe, Sinixt men would hold a special ceremony. This ceremony included dancing, fasting (not eating), and sweatbathing. The goal of this ceremony was to help the group work better together. It also helped them focus their energy on building the canoe.

A Unique North American Design

The sturgeon-nose design is very special for canoes in North America. Interestingly, similar boat designs were found in the Amur River region of Siberia in the mid-1800s. This shows how different cultures can sometimes come up with similar clever ideas!