Sturgeon-Nose Balsam Bark Canoe
The Canadian Canoe Museum
All rights reserved.
| Object Name: | Sturgeon-Nose Balsam Bark Canoe |
| Technique: | Bark |
| Accession Number: | 1977.047.1 |
| Model Name/Number: | n/a |
| Earliest Production Date: | 1962 |
| School/Style: | Aboriginal |
| Description: | The unique bow shape of this craft is sometimes known as the "sturgeon nose." Primarily the Ktunaxa used these canoes on the rivers and lakes of southern British Columbia and in northern Washington State. The hull is constructed of balsam bark. The sections of bark running underneath the gunwales are birch. Alder bark has been used in the lashings. There is speculation regarding the design of these craft. The unique shape of the end likely improves the dynamics of the craft, and compensates for the inferior properties of this type of bark. |
| History of Use: | No other Aboriginal nation in North America builds canoes in the same style as the Kutenai. The craft were constructed for use on rivers and lakes. They were made of the bark of birch, spruce, fir, white pine, or balsam whatever material was available at the building site. The size of the Kutenai sturgeon-nose canoes varied from between approximately 14 and 20 feet in length. (Adney & Chapelle, The Bark Canoes and Skin Boats of North America, 1964). The Kutenai peoples were divided into three groups, the Lower Kutenai, the Upper Kutenai and the Plains Kutenai. The Lower Kutenai peoples live south of Creston B.C., were walso known as the Arcplat or Flatbow peoples. This name is said to be derived from the shape of the Kootenay Lake. Hunting, fishing and trapping were all part of the Kutenai lifestyle (http://www.crestonvalley.com/historypg1.html). |
| Number of Components: | one |
| Institution: |
The Canadian Canoe Museum
 Facebook-The Canadian Canoe Museum
 Twitter-The Canadian Canoe Museum
 YouTube-The Canadian Canoe Museum
|
| Institution City: | Peterborough |
| Institution Province: | Ontario |
Contact information for this web page
-
To suggest edits or updates to this page, please contact the Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN) directly.