282 Building the Bark Canoe - webapps8

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much, you might as well learn thewhole thing.""Altogether I probably spent sixmonths in that shop learning what Ihad to learn," Minehart recalls."Then I probably spent another sixmonths in my own shop learningmore of what I had to learn."During the 11 summers since,Minehart has built with commonhand tools more than 30 canoes athis own shop and cabin on LittleSand Lake. Some have exceeded 20feet; others have been as short as 6.But most have been 16- to 17-footersbased on Ojibwe, Cree, Micmac, andMalecite designs. Each weighs onlyabout 60 pounds—less than mostaluminum canoes.Methods of the Master. Mineharf smethods, with a few modifications,are Hafeman's. "He's the master. Ilearned from him," Minehart says.Once an order comes in, Minehartsearches for materials. "Usually somebody'sgot a timber lease and lets meknow if he's got some good birch orgood cedar on it before he cuts it."Minehart looks for a birch at least20 inches around with a good straighttrunk. Then he uses an 8-foot ladderto climb and shimmy up the tree asfar as he can. Using a walking stickas a guide, he cuts a vertical slit nearlyto the base of the tree. Mineharttakes his bark in spring and earlysummer, when the sap is running.Bent in forms, the laminated stem piecesare then wrapped with basswood innerbark and sewn into the bow and sternto form the canoe's profile.JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1992 51
Minehart splits out thin sheets of white cedar he finds in the woods near his shop."When the sun is shining and thetree is really processing through thatcambium layer, it's well lubricated—the tree practically peels itself." Evenpeeled, the trees survive, as long asthe cambium—the layer of cells betweenthe wood and the bark—isnot damaged. They can be cut laterfor firewood, pulpwood, or veneer.In the days when Hafeman beganbuilding, he could sometimes buildan entire canoe from a single piece ofbark. "His own canoe is that way,"Minehart says. "It makes a strongerboat and cuts down on all the timeyou have to spend stitching." Butpulp cutters have taken the big trees,and "if there are any more like thatleft up there, I've never run acrossone," Minehart says. Today, he maycut bark from five or six trees tobuild a 16-foot canoe.Minehart also needs a long pieceof the inner bark of a basswood treefor binding the curved stem piecesin the bow and stern. He cuts a smallslit on the trunk of a basswood, takeshold of the bark and pulls, peeling aribbon right up the tree.Next, Minehart finds a couple ofknot-free cedars, from which he cutslogs up to 20 feet long for making54 THE MINNESOTA VOLUNTEER
Page 2 and 3: Jack Minehart makes canoes likethe
Page 5: Birch Bark CanoesMiriehart sews tog
Page 9 and 10: Birch Bark Canoesside would soon we

282 Building the Bark Canoe - webapps8

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