CAGIS Virtual – Build Your Own Birchbark Canoe – Ages 7 to 12

Did you know that the canoes you use each summer are examples of Indigenous engineering? Early Indigenous Peoples frequently travelled by water because of its speed; there were no horses on the continent yet, or wheeled vehicles. Indigenous Peoples invented many different water vessels and the birchbark canoe was the fastest, strongest, and simplest to build and operate. Even today, modern canoes still follow the birchbark canoe design. In this session, we will explore traditional Indigenous technologies and engineering design. We will learn about and apply traditional Indigenous Knowledge to create our own birchbark canoes! Participants are invited to wear an orange shirt to mark Orange Shirt Day and National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.