Dene (Athapaskan) Bark Canoes

Dogrib, Slave, Chipewyan and other Dene (Athapaskan-speakers) of the western Subarctic built two different models of bark canoe. The first was a relatively large canoe with elevated ends, which resembled Algonquian-style fur trade canoes in form and construction. The second was the "kayak-form" canoe, which resembled the watercraft of nearby Inuit in the western Arctic in many aspects, including its high, pointed ends, partial decking, and an open framework that had narrow, well-spaced battens rather than the continuous sheathing of Algonquian canoes.

Dogrib "kayak-form" canoe Fort Rae, Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories, 1914 CMC VI-E-112

kayaks |  umiaks |  bark canoes |  dugout canoes exhibition photos |  conservation |  bibliography |  other WWW resources credits