Model Canoe Item Number: 1505/2 from the MOA: University of British Columbia

Description

Model hunting canoe. Small light brown wooden canoe carved from a single piece of wood, that widens in the centre and tapers to squared off points at either end. The prow sits slightly higher than the stern. Each end has a curve from top to bottom but the stern has a much more pronounced curve. The surface is undecorated.

History Of Use

A model of a specific style of Tlingit hunting canoe from Yakutat, Alaska. The distinctive bow projecting out from the bottom is designed to stabilize the vessel in harsh waves while hunting sea otters and hair seals. This model, like the full-sized canoes it is based on, is carved from spruce, as the Yakutat Tlingit live far north of the natural range of cedar.