American Indian Canoe
One of the most popular forms of transportation for many of the Native American tribes that lived along the coastlines and also the tribes that lived near the Great Lakes and other large bodies of water was the American Indian canoe. With large amounts of water the American Indian people needed a means to travel across lakes and other bodies of water without having to take a long hike around them, so they ended up coming up with the idea of the American Indian canoe.
They would make these canoes out of large pieces of wood that they would hollow out, and they would also make oars out of branches that they would hand carve in order to row and steer the canoe. The American Indian canoe was a very important part of many Native American tribes’ lives, and it made fishing and trading much easier for them. Some types of canoes that the American Indians made would take a lot of time to carve, and some tribes would even burn the bottom of the canoes to help protect the wood from the water.
There were many different styles of the American Indian canoe that were seen in different regions, but one of the most popular woods to make these native canoes out of was birch-bark. The first documentation of the American Indian canoe was on drawings that were drawn by European settlers so know one is exactly sure of when the Native American Indians first began using these canoes. There are no artifacts that have ever been found since the materials that the Native Americans made their canoes out of were biodegradable and did not last long. The Iroquois Indians of the Northeast United States made very large and long boats that could hold more than fifteen people and could also carry many goods at the same time, and this was a big help when it came to trade with other tribes and European settlers. Nowadays many canoes are made out of fiberglass or aluminum and are much more durable than the native canoes, but the canoe is still a very popular form of travel, either just for relaxing or if you want to go out and do some fishing.
Other Resources:
The Indian Canoe
American Indian Canoe