Beothuk bark canoes : an analysis and comparative study
The aim of this thesis was to investigate and test hypotheses concerning the design and construction of Beothuk birch bark canoes and their relationship to craft of other North American native groups. The study was based on data from artifacts in various museum collections and from documents. New ma...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Memorial University of Newfoundland
1983
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| Online Access: | https://research.library.mun.ca/7961/ https://research.library.mun.ca/7961/1/Marshall_IngeborgConstanzeLuise.pdf https://research.library.mun.ca/7961/3/Marshall_IngeborgConstanzeLuise.pdf |
| Summary: | The aim of this thesis was to investigate and test hypotheses concerning the design and construction of Beothuk birch bark canoes and their relationship to craft of other North American native groups. The study was based on data from artifacts in various museum collections and from documents. New materials resulting from a systematic archival search were used to supplement known sources. -- Examination of the data showed that the Beothuk made at least two different bark canoe designs. The more versatile of the two had a straight keel-line, no rocker, and the beam placed abaft midlength; it combined attributes useful for travel on inland waters with those that were advantageous for open water navigation. The second canoe form was a strongly rockered deep draft type especially adapted for travel conditions on the ocean. Both designs shared a V-shaped hull form as well as stylistic attributes which differentiated them from bark canoes of other groups. This interpretation removes an area of difficulty experienced by others who tried to distill one design out of apparently conflicting data. -- Beothuk canoes were also compared with sixty-two other native North American craft which revealed that Beothuk bark canoe construction conformed with the traditional methods used by other groups. Although Beothuk canoes have been described as unique, most of their attributes were found on other North American canoes or kayaks. The uniqueness derived from specific combinations of attributes and from the development of some of them to an unusual degree. -- Analysis of canoes outside of Newfoundland demonstrated that several attributes were predominantly found in the North American north west including Alaska, the Yukon and the District of MacKensie but were absent or rare on the eastern seaboard and vice versa. A comparison of Beothuk canoe characteristics with those identified as preferred in north western or eastern regions showed a close association between the straight keel-line canoe and north western Athabascan canoes; the ... |
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