A natural history of one of North America’s most enduring cultural artifacts.
by Mark Neuzil and Norman Sims, Foreword by John McPhee
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.
Ancient records of canoes are found from the Pacific Northwest to the coast of Maine, in Minnesota and Mexico, in the Southeast and across the Caribbean. And if a native of those distant times might encounter a canoe of our day—whether birch bark or dugout or a modern marvel made of carbon fiber—its silhouette would be instantly recognizable. This is the story of that singular American artifact, so little changed over time: of canoes, old and new, the people who made them, and the labors and 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.
In the foreword by Pulitzer Prize–winner John McPhee, we dip into the experience of canoeing, from the thrilling challenges of childhood camp expeditions to the moving reflections of long-time paddlers. The pages that follow are filled with historical photographs and artwork, authors Mark Neuzil and Norman Sims describe the dugout and birch bark craft from their first known appearance through the exploration of Canada by fur traders, to the recreational movements that promoted all-wood and wood-and-canvas canoes. Modern materials such as aluminum, fiberglass, and plastic expanded participation and connected canoeists with emerging environmental movements.
Finally, Canoes lets us hear the voices of past paddlers like Alexander Mackenzie, the first European to cross North America, using birch bark and dugout canoes a decade before Lewis and Clark went overland, Henry Thoreau, Eric Sevareid, Edwin Tappan Adney, and others. Their stories are a tribute to the First Peoples who, 500 or 1,000 or even 5,000 years ago, built a craft designed to such perfection that it has plied the waters fundamentally unchanged ever since.
© 2016 Mark Neuzil and Norman Sims, Foreword by John McPhee
Published by University of Minnesota Press, November 2016, ISBN 978-0-8166-8117-4
Cloth/jacket, 416 pages, 95 b&w plates, 228 color plates, 10 x 8
Whether you are a whitewater kayaker, canoeist, or powerboater, this book has everything you need to know about the 410-mile Connecticut River, from its source at Fourth Connecticut Lake to Long Island Sound. Includes maps and mile-by-mile descriptions of what to look for -- and what to look out for -- while on the River. This book will be your trusted companion on Connecticut River boating adventures for a long time to come. Now available in a completely revised edition, this book continues to be the classic, authoritative guide for boaters, canoeists, and kayakers on the Connecticut River. “An invaluable aid in planning a boating trip on the Connecticut River” – The Hartford Courant
Freshwater Mussels and the Connecticut River Watershed by Ethan Jay Nedeau The Connecticut River Watershed Council is pleased to publish this exhaustively researched and beautifully illustrated guide to mussels found in the Connecticut River basin. It is a welcome tool for resource agencies, conservation commissions, biologists, and schools with active ecological studies programs. “Connecticut River Watershed Council is proud to partner with Ethan on this publication,” stated Executive Director Chelsea Gwyther. “I hope this guide leads to better understanding and identification of these interesting creatures and better protections for the land and water that sustains all of us.”
A Fishway For Your Stream Providing Fish Passage Around Dams in the Northeast by CRC and the National Park Service Using the experience of our Migratory Fisheries Restoration Program, CRC and the National Park Service have prepared a "how-to" manual for river conservationists and communities interested in restoring access for migratory fish to spawning habitats that have been blocked by small dams. This grassroots handbook was developed in 2000 to support our Migratory Fisheries Initiative. It is designed to guide community groups, landowners and towns through the process of installing fishways at barriers to migratory fish passage.
A natural history of one of North America’s most enduring cultural artifacts. by Mark Neuzil and Norman Sims, Foreword by John McPhee 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. Ancient records of canoes are found from the Pacific Northwest to the coast of Maine, in Minnesota and Mexico, in the Southeast and across the Caribbean. And if a native of those distant times might encounter a canoe of our day—whether birch bark or dugout or a modern marvel made of carbon fiber—its silhouette would be instantly recognizable. This is the story of that singular American artifact, so little changed over time: of canoes, old and new, the people who made them, and the labors and 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. In the foreword by Pulitzer Prize–winner John McPhee, we dip into the experience of canoeing, from the thrilling challenges of childhood camp expeditions to the moving reflections of long-time paddlers. The pages that follow are filled with historical photographs and artwork, authors Mark Neuzil and Norman Sims describe the dugout and birch bark craft from their first known appearance through the exploration of Canada by fur traders, to the recreational movements that promoted all-wood and wood-and-canvas canoes. Modern materials such as aluminum, fiberglass, and plastic expanded participation and connected canoeists with emerging environmental movements. Finally, Canoes lets us hear the voices of past paddlers like Alexander Mackenzie, the first European to cross North America, using birch bark and dugout canoes a decade before Lewis and Clark went overland, Henry Thoreau, Eric Sevareid, Edwin Tappan Adney, and others. Their stories are a tribute to the First Peoples who, 500 or 1,000 or even 5,000 years ago, built a craft designed to such perfection that it has plied the waters fundamentally unchanged ever since. © 2016 Mark Neuzil and Norman Sims, Foreword by John McPhee Published by University of Minnesota Press, November 2016, ISBN 978-0-8166-8117-4 Cloth/jacket, 416 pages, 95 b&w plates, 228 color plates, 10 x 8
