Saturday, September 27th, 2025

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.

Time

Ages 7-12: 8 am PT • 9 am MT • 10 am CT • 11 am ET • 12 pm AT
Ages 13-17: 10 am PT • 11 am MT • 12 pm CT • 1 pm ET • 2 pm AT

Materials and Preparation

Members are eligible to receive a free kit from Ed-Digenous Traditions if they register and submit the supplies form (attached in registration confirmation email) before September 14th, 2025 at 11:59 PM.

Participants who do not register before September 14th can purchase a Birchbark Canoe Kit here. The Birchbark Canoe Kit contains all of the materials included in the free kits. 

Additional materials required for the session:

• Scissors
• Bulldog or Binder Clip