Making a Canoe
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| Database ID | 31962 | |
| Institution | Northern Saskatchewan Archives | |
| Fonds/Collection | DNS Academic Education Branch | |
| File/Item Reference | Making a Canoe | |
| Date of creation | 1977 | |
| Physical description/extent | 191 slides | |
| Number of images | 191 | |
| Historical note | Photos of Marshall Montgrand in the Dene community of La Loche constructing a wood-and-canvas canoe, taken in 1977 by Larry Hewitt while on contract with the Academic Education Branch of the Department of Northern Saskatchewan. | |
| Scope and content | A set of 191 photos showing the construction of a wood-and-canvas canoe: -p01: This is Marshall Montgrand at his canoe-building area near La Loche. -p02: He is going to demonstrate how to make a wood-and-canvas canoe. -p03: A wooden mould attached to this post will be used to make the ribs. -p04: This curved shaper is used to make the wider ribs for the canoe. -p05: This is MarshallÂs work area, with a partly-finished canoe at the back. -p06: A view of the rib post, the shaper, and his work bench. -p07: MarshallÂs place is beside this attractive creek. -p08: These colourful flowers grow beside his work area. -p09: Another view of the beautiful scenery along the creek. -p10: This is some of the pine and spruce wood needed for the construction. -p11: These are roughly-cut spruce boards for the siding. -p12: These other pieces will be needed for the frame, the ribs, and the siding. -p13: More materials beside a recently re-canvassed canoe. -p14: These curved pieces are shaped for the bow and the stern. -p15: This is a view of the canoeÂs frame under construction. -p16: Here is a close-up of one end of the frame. -p17: This is the other end of the canoe. -p18: One of the ends, showing the details of how it is made. -p19: Here is another view of the end. -p20: This is one of the end pieces, already curved to shape. -p21: Marshall is going to put it into place. -p22: Here they are working on the end piece. -p23: One end piece is in place, the other is partly installed. -p24: A view of the frame with the end pieces attached. -p25: A close-up of an end piece in place. -p26: This is the other end piece in position. -p27: An end view of the canoe showing the completed frame. -p28: Some of the semi-finished ribs. -p29: Some previously-moulded ribs are here laid out under the frame. -p30: This is another view of the frame and ribs. -p31: Marshall will later show this board being made into a mould for the ribs. -p32: The ribs will be finished and then softened and shaped. -p33: They will be curved over the shaper and a mould-board fixed to the post. -p34: One of the ribs on the work table, having been shaved down. -p35 Water is being heated up to soak the ribs. -p36: The water is now hot enough. -p37: A rib is being soaked in the water. -p38: The rib is now curved over the shaper. -p39: The shaping continues. -p40: Attaching the ribs to the frame. -p41: More ribs are put into place. -p42: The partially-ribbed canoe. -p43: A closer view of some of the ribs in place. -p44: A view that shows there is a problem with a crooked end piece. -p45: This wedge will be used to pry ribs apart from the mould. -p46: Some side boards are in place and the ribs are undone at the top. -p47: Marshall adjusts the height of the frame. -p48: The adjusting continues. -p49: The ribs are then re-nailed. -p50: Marshall checks out the canoe. -p51: The end pieces are re-tied to the side frames. -p52: Once they are tied, the ends of the ribs are cut off. -p53: The canoe is then once again tied to the work stand. -p54: Now more side boards are added. -p55: A rock is held against a nail head as the nail is cut and clinched. -p56: Pressure is applied to the inside of a rib to straighten it. -p57: Checking the uniformity of the side boards. -p58: Fitting a board to the ribs. -p59: Marking the spots that need to be trimmed. -p60: Roughing out the shape of a board. -p61: The board is then finished with a plane. -p62: The side board is nailed and ready to be cut and clinched. -p63: Marshall shapes the piece that joins the side frames together at the ends. -p64: This piece will also provide a hand hold at each end. -p65: He finishes it with a knife while his grandsons put on another board. -p66: The canoe is set on the ground so that the end pieces can be added. -p67: Marshal and his helper Herman begin to put one of them in. -p68: His grandson helps as it is nailed into place. -p69: One end is complete. -p70: The triangular pieces are in place and the canoe is back on the supports. -p71: Marshall now trims the rough edges at the bow and stern with a plane. -p72: He continues with smoothing down the canoe. -p73: Now he checks over the work. -p74: While a side board is shaped, Marshal shows how a mould board is made. -p75: We missed this before, so Marshall shows how it is done. -p76: These mould boards are used to shape the ribs. -p77: The ribs are soaked in boiling water and shaped over this board. -p78: Marshall continues the shaping with his very sharp axe. -p79: Work on the board is now put aside until it is needed. -p80: This rock is used to help clinch the nails. -p81: The final boards need more and more work to make them fit. -p82: Here we can see the shape of the area still to be covered. -p83: Herman selects a board to complete the side. -p84: He carries the board around to mark it for cutting to shape. -p85: As the work progresses, people stop by to watch. -p86: Marshall takes a break in the shade and watches progress. -p87: The board is fitted and held in place. -p88: It will be marked from beneath to show were it should be cut. -p89: Once marked, it will be cut roughly to shape with an axe. -p90: The shaping continues. -p91: It is cut away down to the pencil lines. -p92: Finally it is planed to make the edges smooth and square. -p93: This is a close-up of the space to be covered. -p94: Marshall takes a break while the board is fitted in. -p95: Another board is now being fitted. -p96: A close-up of boards fitted together. -p97: One end of the canoe is finished. -p98: How the whole canoe is looking now. -p99: A close-up of one end. -p100: This view shows how the boards all fit together. -p101: A view showing the inside of the canoe. -p102: Marshall measures where the seat and its supports will go. -p103: He then measures the other end. -p104: He measures again to be exact. -p105: A seat support is put in place. -p106: The support has now been nailed into the canoe. -p107: Another support is nailed into position. -p108: Marshall makes two more supports. -p109: The final shaping is done with a knife. -p110: The nails are driven in from the outside and the ends cut off. -p111: A rock is held against the nails and they are hammered to clinch them. -p112: Both supports are now in place. -p113: Finally the seat is put into place. -p114: Marshall carefully checks the canoe before the canvas is put on. -p115: Any sharp edges are trimmed down so that the canvas will not be cut. -p116: Marshall checks the edges with his hand. -p117: He then sights along the canoe to check for any edges that stick up. -p118: The mill at La Loche, run by the Brother, will help cut some pieces. -p119: Marshall has brought in a log for making into strips for the outside frame. -p120: Marshall checks out the saw carriage. -p121: Now the tractor is started. -p122: It is brought up to run the mill. -p123: The drive belt is put into place. -p124: This chain belt takes out the sawdust. -p125: The saw teeth are checked. -p126: The log is placed into position. -p127: The cutting of MarshallÂs log begins. -p128: The long narrow boards for the keel and the gunnels are cut. -p129: The covering of the canoe with the canvas is begun. -p130: Pinned at one end, the canvas is stretched tight. -p131: The fitting of one end is started. -p132: The canvas is pulled to one side and marked. -p133: Then the other side is pulled and marked. -p134: The same process is then followed at the other end. -p135: The stretching continues. -p136: This side view shows the initial fit. -p137: Marshall now begins cutting the canvas. -p138: He follows the lines marked for each side. -p139: Now he begins sewing up the canvas. -p140: This end is now sewn up. -p141: The canvas is put back on and the sides pulled tight and tacked. -p142: An end view of the canvas covering. -p143: A side view of the canvas. -p144: These wrinkles need to be taken out. -p145: This close-up shows how smooth the canvas should be. -p146: Sometimes horses come from town to visit the area. -p147: And bugs come to visit too, like this flying beetle. -p148: The outside pieces cut at the mill are now planed to shape. -p149: Two side pieces are made to finish off the gunnels. -p150: These pieces are nailed together and planed to make them the same. -p151: A lot of work is put into these finishing strips. -p152: Marshall and his helpers put in a lot of time. -p153: The shaping and smoothing work continues. -p154: The trim for the gunnels takes shape. -p155: The plane is not cutting well and needs adjusting. -p156: It is cleaned, adjusted and tested. -p157: The two finishing strips for the gunnels are nearing completion. -p158: They are given one last smoothing down. -p159: Now they can be attached to the canoe. -p160: They start nailing one of them into place. -p161: The strip is then put into place at the far end. -p162: It is fixed into place to complete the first side. -p163: Marshall is now shaping the piece that holds the foot of the mast. -p164: A sail can be raised on the mast whenever the wind is right. -p165: The mast holder is now in place. -p166: A diagram of the sail has been drawn on one of the rib moulds. -p167: Marshall prepares the sail mast. -p168: He is shaping the foot of the mast to fit into the holder. -p169: The mast is shaped at the bottom but still needs some smoothing down. -p170: The excess canvas has now been cut off the canoe. -p171: The canoe is turned over for putting on the keel. -p172: One of MarshallÂs grandsons is shaping the keel. -p173: The pile of shavings shows how much work is needed. -p174: The keel is constantly checked as the planing continues. -p175: A lot of effort is put into this important part of the canoe. -p176: After each session of planning the keel is checked again. -p177: Marshall begins to rough out the curve at the ends with an axe. -p178: The keel is carefully checked at each stage. -p179: Marshall planes down the curved ends. -p180: They check it over again. -p181: The finished keel is now ready on the work bench. -p182: The keel is placed on the canoe and given its initial look-over. -p183: It is then nailed into position. -p184: Here is a side view of the keel in place. -p185: This is a view of the whole canoe with its keel in place. -p186: They prepare to put the metal end over the bow and onto the keel. -p187: The metal strip is screwed into place. -p188: The finished canoe, complete with its mast and sail. -p189: The new canoe is ready to use, while behind it Marshall starts another one! -p190: This photo was taken later of the canoe on a beach at Frobisher Lake. -p191: A glorious sunset ends the day at Marshall's camp. | |
| Contributer | Larry Hewitt Department of Northern Saskatchewan | |
| Copyright holder | Saskatchewan Education | |
| Other terms governing use and reproduction | Northern Saskatchewan Archives applies to Saskatchewan Education for permission to use materials. | |
| Type | Archival | |
| Primary Media | Photographs | |
| Provenance Access Point | Department of Northern Saskatchewan | |
| Treaty boundaries | Treaty 8 | |
| Cultural region | Subarctic | |
| Names | Larry Hewitt Marshall Montgrand | |
| Subject | Art and Artifacts -- Handicrafts Artifacts Canoes Dene - Chipewyan Handicraft | |
| Date Range(s) | 1970-1979 | |
| Permanent Link | https://digital.scaa.sk.ca/ourlegacy/permalink/31962
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