Kasaan Canoe Documentation Project: Unlocking the Wisdom of an Ancient Canoe
An ancient, half-finished Haida canoe lying in the forest of Prince of
Wales Island where it was carved over 100 years ago holds secrets about the Haida canoe
carving tradition: it offers us information about technique, sequencing of steps, and the pre-
steamed shape of the carved canoe. Before that canoe disintegrates back into the forest floor and
the knowledge it holds is lost with it, we were able to thoroughly document the canoe, the other remaining artifacts and the site, making a 3D computer model and engineering drawings of the canoe to share with canoe carvers and the broader world.
Haw'aa'uu to our many supporters and volunteers on this project! We couldn't have done it without you.
Special thanks to the team at Cultural Heritage Imaging who provided significant portion of our required match for this grant. Their training, equipment, experience, and enthusiasm for using photogrammetry made it possible for us to capture the canoe's precise shape without damage.
We are grateful to the staff and students from the University of Alaska Southeast who were on the ground documenting and making discoveries with us.
We appreciate Sealaska for allowing this research, and Dennis Pollock, who originally recognized the site and asked for its protection.
Kasaan Canoe Documentation Project: Unlocking the Wisdom of an Ancient Canoe is being supported in part by the Maritime Heritage Grant Program administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior through the State of Alaska Historic Preservation Office and the Alaska State Museum. Opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Interior. https://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/oha/maritime/amhpp.htm
This project was supported by the TSCA John Gardner Fund. Their mission is: "to preserve, continue, and expand the achievements, vision, and goals of John Gardner by enriching and disseminating our traditional small craft heritage and supporting your efforts with competitive grants". https://tsca.net/john-gardner-fund/