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B I R C H - B A R KC A N O E B U I L D E R

William HafemanPerpetuates

a Nearly Lost Art

TH E ART O F produc ing birch-b ark canoes by use traditional Indian materials and methods is lost in moareas, but it is kept alive expertly in Minnesota by Wliam ("Bill") Hafeman of Bigfork. The agde, seventhree-year-old outdoorsman has become widely knowas "the builder of birch-bark canoes' ' because this hbeen his major occupation in recent years. Thousanof persons have seen his canoe replicas at historic sitand at visitors' centers. Many have viewed him at wovia films, television, newspapers, and magazines anin person at the Minnesota State Fair.

Through his reconstructions part of the history oNorth America in general and Minnesota in particlar springs alive In fact, it is a fortunate tie-in thhe holds forth in this state because Minnesota is HE SPLITS the cedar log.

THE HAFEM ANS trim limbs from the peifectcedar tree they have just cut with a crosscutsaw. The wood will be used for the ribs, planking, and gunwales of the canoe.

HE OUTS tlie cedar ribs with a draioknife.142 Minnesota History

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w a t e r s h e d w i t h water\\'a)'s t h a t l o n g f u r n i sh e d r o u t e sfor the or ig ina ls of the va r ious canoes Mr . Hafemanm a k e s . I n so m e , I n d i a n p e o p le t r a v e l e d t o t h e i r d e s t i nations, f ished, or r iccd. In the l a r g e r Mo n t r e a l c a n o e s ,v o y a g e u r s a n d o th e r f u r t r a d e r s p l i e d t h e G r e a t L a k e sto G r a n d P o r t a g e i n M in n e so t a ' s n o r th e a s t e r n t i p , a n din N o r th c a n o e s t r a d e r s n a v ig a t e d i n l a n d l a k e s a n dwild r ive r s to t r anspor t tons of ba r te r goods and fur swes t of Lake Super ior . Without these ca r r ie r s , ea r ly exp lo r a t i o n o f t h e n o r th c o u n t r y a n d t h e e x i s t e n c e o f t h ef u r t r a d e o n a l a r g e s c a l e w o u ld h a v e b e e n im p o ss ib l e .

T o t a k e t h e st e p - b y - s t e p p h o t o g r a p h s o n t h e s ep a g e s of Mr . H a f e m a n c o n s t r u c t i n g a N o r th c a n o e b yI n d i a n m e th o d s , R o b e r t C . W h e e l e r , a s so c i a t e d i r e c to ro f t h e Min n e so t a H i s to r i c a l S o c i e ty , m a d e s e v e r a l t r i p s

n o r th w a r d t o B ig f o r k a t d i f f e re n t t im e s of t h e y e a rM r . H a f e m a n i s o n e of th e fe w p e r s o n s a n y w h e r e

s ti ll m a k i n g b i r c h - b a r k c a n o e s b v t h e o l d m e t h o d s . H esa \ ' s tha t was not prec ise ] ) ' h is goa l when he se t ou tmore than f i f t ) ' -S'ears a g o to f o l l o w h i s d r e a m s . I n h i s^outh Mr . H a f e m a n h a d h e a r d t a l e s o f t h e w i ld n o r thc o u n t r y f ro m a h a l f - I n d i a n j a n i t o r w h e r e h e a t t e n d e dsc h o o l , a n d f o r y e a r s h e l o n g e d to g o i n to t h e w i ld e r n e s s a n d l i v e H e a n d h i s w i f e V io l e t f in al ly m a n a g e dthis move in the ear l) - 1920s \\-hen the ) - le f t the i r h om ein c e n t r a l W isc o n s in a n d w e n t t o B ig f o r k i n I t a s c aC o u n ty . T h e y r e tu r n e d t o W isc o n s in br ie ff y w h e n th e i rso n S t e w a r t w a s b o r n , b u t \^'hen t h e b o ) ' w a s o n ly af e w m o n t h s o l d t h e H a f e m a n s r e t u r n e d t o t h e B i g f o rka r e a a n d h a v e b e e n t h e r e e v e r s i n c e .

SPLITTING THE CEDA R into very thinplanking iielps achieve the characteristiclightness of the birchbark an importantquality on the water an d on long portages.

GATHE RING THE ROOTS of the spruce tree,or watap, found under the moss in spruceswamps, are John Yiist (left) and Mr. Hafeman.Watap is split and soaked, then used to sew thebark together and to lasii on the gunwales.

STANDIN G HIGH on the treeMr. Hafeman takes a huge sheeof bark from a birch tree. Thidoes not kill the tree since onlythe outer layer is taken. Hugebirch trees free of knots must beused for the bark.

Winter 1972 1 4 3

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Theirs was an arduous existence for a ^^dlile. The) 'lived off the land b)- hunting, trapping, fishing, gardening, and picking and canning wild fruit and berries.Mr. Hafeman also constructed some furniture. Soonhe started a boat works that turned out primarib 'cedar-strip canoes for resort owners.

Mr. Hafeman was ax- -arc of birch-bark canoes before going to the north countr\, and they had not beenforgotten. Once, as a )-outh, he had pulled the barkfrom some birch trees and built a small, crude replicaof a canoe Even then, he thought that someone oughtto keep that art alive. Now, with his boat business going well, he decided to try to build a birch-bark canoeHis first attempt failed.

Sometime during these xears he met a man whad recently observed and memorized the proceduby which Indians built canoes. He related it to MHafeman who made another attempt and this timsucceeded in building what he called his "bananboat" because of its shape. But he was and is a pefectionist and kept working to recreate as closely possible the Ojibway (C hip pe wa ) "long-nose" canoIn 1964 the Smithsonian Institution in WashingtoD.C , pub l i shed a book. The Bark Canoes and SkBoats of North America, by Edwin Tappan Adney anHoward I. Chappelle. This is the classic work on thvarious types of canoes and kayaks made bv the diffeent tribes of North America, ft includes mam- phot

HE SEWS ivith tlie tvatap.THE BARK on the bow and .stern are also seioecl with loatap.

PLANKING IS INSERTED and pounded iunder the ribs. The ends of the ribs arcaught under the gunivales, thus applyinpressure against the planking tvhich in turexerts pressure against the bark and maintains the form of the canoe.

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g r a p h s , d i a g r a m s , a n d e x p la n a t io n s o f h o w to c o n s t r u c tv a r io u s b i r c h - b a r k c a n o e s a n d g iv e s b a c k g r o u n d in format ion on the i r or ig ins . Wi th a copy of th is bo okin h a n d a s w e l l a s a c o m m is s io n f r o m th e M in n e so t aHis tor ica l Soc ie t ) - , Mr . Hafeman se t about in 1969to bui ld h is fi rs t r ep l ica of a th i r ty- s ix- foo t - long M ont r e a l c a n o e w h ic h "extended t h e I n d i a n b i r c h b a r k c a noe to i t s u l t ima te a s a ca rgo vesse l ," a s Er ic W. Morseexpressed i t in his Fur Trade Routes of Canada/Thenand Now ( O t t a w a , 1 9 6 8 ) . T h e M o n t r e a l o r canot dumaitre w a s c a p a b le o f cari-)'ing three tons of goods p lusits cre \\ ' and i ts gear .

S in c e t h e n Mr . H a f e m a n h a s b u i l t fo r t h e so c ie ty atwenty-s ix- foot Nor th canoe of the type used wes t of

L a k e S u p e r io r , tw o s ix t e e n - f o o t c a n o e s n o w o n e x h ib i ta t C o n n o r ' s fu r p o s t n e a r P in e C i ty , a n d a t h i r d c a n o eof this size gi\'en t o t h e so c i e tv b y t h e F o r t S n e l l i n gS ta t e P a r k A sso c i a t i o n . Mr . H a f e m a n a l so b u i l t a M o n t r e a l c a n o e a n d a N o r th c a n o e f o r e x h ib i t i o n a t G r a n dP o r t a g e N a t i o n a l M o n u m e n t , a N o r t h c a n o e o n e x h i b i ta t t h e S u p e r io r N a t io n a l F o r e s t v i s i t o r s ' c e n t e r a t E ly ,a n d a n u m b e r o f c a n o e s f or s e v e r a l w e l l - k n o w n p e r sons , i n c l u d i n g o n e p r e s e n t e d t o M r s . L y n d o n B . J o h n s o n a n d a m i n i a t u r e r e p l i c a g i v e n t o H u b e r t H .H u m p h r e y w h e n h e w a s v i c e - p r e s i d e n t .

I n t h e se p i c tu r e s , Mr . H a f e m a n b u i ld s a N o r th c a n o e , sh o w in g m a n y o f t h e p r o c e s se s s t a r t i n g w i th s e l e c t i n g a tree and ending wi th the f in ished product.

MORE RIBS are pounded into place.

PITCHING THE CANOE or putting pitch over the seams is a finalStep. Mr. Hafem an substitutes asphaltfor spruce pitch or gum the onlydeviation from tiie original materials,he believes. Spruce pitch tends tocrack and cannot withstand the temperatures of a hot day.

THIS COMPLETED NORTH CANOE ivas built for the Natioiml Park Service. Its length over the gunivales istwenty-seven feet, nine inches; its beam or width at the widest point is four feet, eleven inches; its depth, twenty-six inches.

ft^i^V-ti

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