Re: Cedar canoes

Joseph Lubischer (jlubisch@linknet.kitsap.lib.wa.us)
Fri, 13 Dec 1996 15:50:47 -0800 (PST) 


These canoe voyages have been tribal events imbedded in the Northwest

Coast culture. Since the last two generations, for the most part,

discarded the canoe, these voyages and the visits to neighboring villages

harken back to a time which only the oldest people remember. The full

suite of activities brought out by dipping a paddle in the water--carving,

prayers, songs, voyaging, hosting, and potlatches--has been a real

efflorescence of cultural activity here on the coast. (Not to mention

the intense emotional experiences, great fun, and pathsetting for the

younger generation.)



For more information, I recommend David Neel's book "The Great Canoes" 

(1995) from Vancouver: Douglas and McIntyre and Seattle: Univ. of

Washington Press. Included is an excellent afterward by Tom Heidlebaugh.

On the more academic side is my paper to the 1995 NW Anthropology

Conference "The Ocean-Going Cedar Canoe: Culutural Rekindling on the

Northwest Coast."



Joe Lubischer





On Sun, 8 Dec 1996 kayak@cco.net wrote:



> There was a large group of paddelers and canoes that made a trip

> recently to Nea Bay, with new dugout canoes. Don't remember the details,

> John.

>