Spruce gum and a red hot knife: Group paddling from Wekweètì fix damaged canoe on-the-land
CBC
A group traveling by canoe from Wekweètì, N.W.T., to the Tłı̨chǫ Annual Gathering repaired a damaged canoe using spruce gum, a hot knife and a can of beans.
Archie Black is a guide on the Trails of Our Ancestors, a canoe trip that brings people from different Tłı̨chǫ communities to the annual gathering, which was held in Whatì this year.
Speaking with CBC News at the gathering in mid-July, Black said a few weeks back, midway through the trip, some of the travellers accidentally dropped the canoe while they were carrying it through shallow rapids, leaving a dent and a hole about an inch wide.
"Water started to get in the boat, so we had to go over to the shore," Black said.
They quickly took all the gear out of the canoe and started investigating the damage.
Black said he contacted his boss in Behchokǫ̀ who suggested they leave the canoe and move everyone into the remaining two boats.
But he said there were 15 people on the trip who all had gear, so space was already tight.
"Might as well just do something to try and repair," Black said.
They had no repair kit, but Black said when he used to go on the land with a canvas canoe he learned how to repair them.
"When a canvas canoe rips it's easier to repair with spruce gum," he said.
Most modern canoes are made of fibreglass or molded plastic, so Black said he first used an axe to bang the dent out.
"Then we started a fire, I had a big knife there, the knife started to burn red hot," he said.
"Then I start to scrape [the canoe] on the outside."
He did the same on the inside and advised some of other group members to go find spruce gum.
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