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Canoes: A Natural History in North America

Mark Neuzil and Norman Sims

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This is the story of the canoe, that singular American artifact so little changed over time. Featured here are canoes old and new, from birch bark to dugout to carbon fiber; the people who made them; and the adventures they shared. With features of technology, industry, art, and survival, the canoe carries us deep into the natural and cultural history of North America.

Follow author Mark Neuzil on Twitter: @mrneuzil

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Published: 2016

Publisher: University of Minnesota Press

ISBN(s)

9780816681174 (hardcover)

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A painting of dozens of canoes and figures approaching a portage.

The Red River Expedition at Kakabeka Falls

A painting of Samuel de Champlain.

Samuel de Champlain

An illustration of pearl divers and canoes in the water.

Pearl Diving

A painting depicting Champlain's arrival. A large ship greeted by several canoes.

The Arrival of Champlain at Quebec

An illustrated map.

Map of New France

A color portrait of Louis, XIV wearing fur.

Portrait of Louis, XIV

The painter John James Audubon is more well-known for his images of North American birds, but he also painted other wildlife, such as these two beavers working on a tree.

Beaver

A map of the British possessions in North America.

A New and Exact Map of the Dominions of the King

Beaver pelts were used in making felt, which could be turned into a top hat, shown here with its case.

Beaver Hat

The process of making hats from the pelts of beavers is partially illustrated in this 1858 artwork from Charles Knight, produced by the London Printing and Publishing Company.

Making Beaver Hats

An oil painting of a group of voyageurs traveling at night in a birch-bark canoe.

The Voyageur

An oil painting of a voyageur wearing a red hat and smoking a pipe.

The Voyageur

An oil painting of several people paddling a birch-bark canoe through water with trees in the background.

Radisson and Groseilliers

A map depicting much of America.

Le Cours du Missisipi

An oil painting of two fur traders and an animal in a canoe.

Fur Traders Descending the Missouri

This 1822 watercolor from the Manitoba Museum’s Hudson’s Bay Company Collection, illustrates a canot du maître carrying two officers.

Canot du maître

An oil painting of a canoe and going through rapids.

Chief Trader Archibald McDonald Descending the Fraser, 1828

Frederic Remington’s drawing of a voyageur struggling with his load illustrates the use of a tumpline across the top of his forehead to help distribute the weight more evenly. ‘Tumpline’ is based on the Algonquian word for line.

Voyageur with Trumpline

A map depicting the routes of the voyageurs.

Voyageur Routes

An illustrated color map of the Great Lakes region.

Partie occidentale du Canada ou de la Nouvelle France