Revitilizing Traditional Indigenous Waterway Knowledge

The US Navy carried out orders to forcefully destroy our traditional vessels, which was a critical part of their strategy to accomplish the goal of "killing the Indian, saving the man."

The US Navy took deliberate steps to eradicate any knowledge we possessed regarding the construction of our traditional ships and the passing down of our valuable skills. While the Tlingit and other indigenous communities have made significant strides towards reclaiming our culture and language, we cannot achieve true progress without access to our traditional watercraft.

Though it's feasible for anyone to construct or acquire a kit for a small watercraft, building a traditional, seaworthy dugout canoe in a contemporary style is not possible.

The amount of recorded knowledge on traditional dugout canoes is scarce, and the information that is available is often vague. To construct full-size traditional watercraft, it is essential to create accurate blueprints and scale models. In Tlingit Áaní, our people once utilized 13 unique types of ships, but the attempted genocide on our community has resulted in a lack of knowledge about traditional watercraft.The Eyak people had a ship design that they used for thousands of years, which was later stolen and credited to a Russian naval architect. This design, which was suitable for both open ocean and protected waters, is now present on most ships. The design was developed before the bulbous bow and has largely been overlooked in naval architecture classrooms without credit to the Eyak people. Updating and improving the indigenous curriculum to include dugout designs that were utilized before contact, with a focus on STEAM and Ethno Curriculum, would be a valuable addition.

The physics, math, and science to build them is absent and even building them in a modern fashion using strips, planks, plywood, or even recycled plastic with a 3D printer or CNC machine, would be changing and increasing the already growing boat building industry. Traditional water craft of indigenous peoples is always seen as just an art project. Creating newly carved dugouts and building blueprints and models to accompany them will aid in the growth of so many fields especially with our indigenous culture in areas such as adult culture camps where the demand is there all across this state, but we lack our traditional connection to the waterways and traditional foods which were once a staple of all our peoples. 

Once redesigned modeling off the last of the old ships or models that are left they can be developed for classroom size which would as well be the foundation of new water sport activities such as archery, atlatl, racing that are absent in a part of the world where it was our way of life. The people all along the coast of Alaska hunted and thrived for thousands of years, hunting and harvesting game from the ocean. This is a skill that has been taken away and cannot come back to our people without the traditional ships we once had.

Imagine being able to create your own traditional watercraft in a modern style! By developing a comprehensive step-by-step foundation on a model scale of the 7 different types of dugouts traditionally used by the Tlingit people, it would be possible for anyone to embark on an exciting journey of craftsmanship. Not only will the user learn how to construct a vessel, but they will also gain valuable knowledge on different aspects of constructional foundation, enhancing their experience and taking their skills to the next level. 

When constructing a dugout, one must consider a range of subjects such as mathematics, physics, geometry, marine science, biology, naval architecture, geology, and marine craft construction. In addition, this process can aid in the study of natural history and social history, as well as contribute to research in anthropology. By approaching the construction of a dugout with a multidisciplinary mindset, one can gain a comprehensive understanding of the art and science of traditional watercraft building.

In short the blueprints and video and photo documentation the end user will be able to read and use the blueprints to shape a half ship model, carve a scale model, use the appropriate steaming method to successfully steam open their model. 

With the simplified definition, the documentation and material to build the curriculum and data into every subject previously mentioned. When a dugout tree is selected, the type of tree needs to be considered, The individual will need to shape the dugout to it pre steamed shape taking into account that once steamed open its shape, size, and overall effective seaworthiness need to be projected and if executed correctly, all fall into place. The uniform thickness and how to repair damaged areas as well are skills that would be covered in the how-to documentation. This will vary with the wood and climate where it is being made and the condition of the wood. 

To create the material that can be used for the classrooms, there first needs to be the foundation on a model scale. Anything large scale has a model first.  There would be some short videos describing some of the steps or skill to make a finely crafted traditional seaworthy dugout that would be open source material available to anyone to purchase. The detailed documentation and how-to material would be available for purchases but would limit the buyer to making one ship from the blueprints, one ship from the kit once it's re-designed into a modern construction plan, classrooms would be able to purchase X number of kit's or material and the option to have an open line of communication with the builder would be an option. The foundation is a building block of development in education and entrepreneurship surrounding indigenous technology, which is always overlooked.

The Tlingit people, my people, of Southeast Alaska lived along the ocean highway, and we have strong connection and unquestionable similarity with so many cultures in the Pacific ring. Our ships bare striking similarities which deserve academic research in fields which to date there are none. The fact that Tlingit people utilized and refined so many different styles of dugouts along with skin boats, skin kayaks, and bark canoes, is proof we didn't just survive here, we thrived here. After the United States Government destroyed nearly all the ships we had, breaking our line of communication, breaking up families and taking away our language by force which impacted my parents' generation. This should speak volumes to how great our ships were if the government had to destroy nearly all of them, wipe out that knowledge and for a time it was nearly lost. Some of the models around the world are the only trace that they existed, along with very few drawings but the knowledge of how to use them and how to make them is still here, it's not lost or sleeping it's just making the smallest of waves right now.

The Tlingit like many others have gotten so much back and our kids are learning so much more, but our traditional lives were split in two like a dugout split down the middle, broken in half. We will always have to live and walk in two worlds, in this country that that tried to wipe us off the face of this earth like they did to so many other peoples. We have the means and land we are so lucky to still live on, to change the way we teach our kids and we are. There's so many people becoming teachers in our languages, there's so much changing in our schools because we are pushing for those changes, but we can't put this ship back together without the knowledge of how to build them. The knowledge that so few people hold is priceless, like our birth speaking elders. Making the material for anyone to learn more about our cultures is in great need, and how to construct traditional vessels that were so great they knew destroying them all was the best way to break us. By creating the material to give back that knowledge would be like stoking a fire, a fire the younger generation can make bigger and better. We have had so little impact in the cultural education as it's still second to the state standards and changing that would be greatly aided by incorporating the traditional water craft used in Alaska. 

All people along the coast of Alaska, Canada, the West Coast of the US utilized traditional water craft and there's been a lot done to teach in part, or make these traditional craft but for the most part they are made to look at and not use. Creating material that can be transformed into curriculum, utilizing modern and green technology can't happen without the foundation and the foundation to the biggest ships, buildings or nearly anything starts with a model. 

That's where we Alaskans are lacking, I've taught in classes and seen what's being taught in one school district at every level of education. I understand what material could be beneficial to the development of more detailed and useful material. Small hands on modern constructed dugouts in the many styles and other ships construction have the potential to aid or replace the standard material at every level of education through an indigenous lens. If Indigenous focused material were the actual state standards, which are vague and, also up to the teacher and school to approve said material, could be exponentially developed along with all the objects used on and around the traditional vessel.

There's been huge Ethno Curriculum development, for example Polynesian Voyaging Society research has had a great impact in their school system which covers many subjects in their heritage language. We could be building off their example, but we just cannot without ships on the water or the knowledge of how to construct these so many different traditional craft, that's accessible to anyone. The style of our ships are little known even to Tlingit. The ability and style are well refined but are nowhere, so getting this kind of knowledge out to the world would have big reciprocating advantages financially for Tlingit, if the ships we utilized were being built on a larger scale with green energy and used culturally, it would and has benefited communities around the world and some of those benefits are countless.

Constructing these traditional craft would be more functional and detailed with the last of the indigenous carvers who have learned, used or own their own traditional craft. There's so little material about indigenous people by indigenous people, and I would want to utilize their time and knowledge which comes at a price, and so should material like this. It is in my mind precious knowledge, but knowledge that's limited and needs to be documented with those pros who are not young anymore. The so few really knowledgeable indigenous boat builders that their knowledge through this material would greatly improve the accuracy and provide empowerment to youth knowing there are learning this traditional knowledge from their elders.

Creating solid digital plans would make access to and create some much-needed interest in boat building, which would in turn create young engineers and architects. It's like we are building a fire and the next generation can build it bigger! Hopefully transform our old, nearly forgotten style into something that's not in the world market yet.

Having spent the last few years deep diving into all the research on our traditional water craft and speaking to nearly all the birth speaking elders, knowledgeable individuals in our language and history, none have researched or looked into the watercraft we used. Over the past few years, I have gotten folks in the school district to start or further develop their curriculum around yaakw (dugouts) and traditional water craft, which they have changed and implemented in, for example, K-5th here locally. Having worked with the language community, indigenous artist, and the school system, I see where the lack of and the need for more impact with traditional watercraft. If there were more hands on and physical material more readily available, there would be more support to further build curriculum, build that interest in students which I have seen is there at least from the high school to university level. 

My initial vision is creating blueprints with a quality AutoCAD program that could be available to anyone to purchase. This would be the first step to have a scale kit or step-by-step guide for anyone to follow and build their own at home or in a classroom. This would in turn create the material to manufacture all of these different types of dugouts in a modern style, i.e. modern construction methods with both wood and recycled material. With the foundation to build these traditional craft in a modern fashion, students or anyone could build them faster, and they would have the knowledge to build it on a full size scale. Middle school to university level could use that newly created material to implement into the classroom to build full size ships and build up multiple ships that would in turn be the grounds to have water sports activities in many facets after devaluing the dugout which right now hinders anyone making one. I know devaluing it in one sense is hurting one small group of established artist however, thinking in the long term the future generations will never have the knowledge or skill to make or use traditional vessels if they never make them. They will never be able to further protect our forests if they are all cut down, so there's a need to make them without cutting trees and preserving trees and in the same hand build an array of skills we once had. Giving that knowledge and skill to anyone, so all can learn and implement our traditional knowledge into their school or their life far out weighs gate keeping traditional knowledge like so many cultural educators, and museums presently do now.

Right now most of our dugouts don't exist in our water or at all, the knowledge to navigate or work together on the water and most skills we were very good at are gone. We cannot rebuild any of it without a solid starting point that teaches the basics from start to finish.

The time it takes and proper programming to change the drawings into an AutoCAD program is immense and time-consuming, a full time job that's just not going to happen unless building up more of the material is the main focus. The coast of both a good AutoCAD program that works with a 3D printer and CNC machine for cutting material once it's transformed from the blueprints in dugout stage to a modern construction method is also time-consuming and cannot happen without the basic knowledge being built up and no one has moved the needle on that like I have over the past few years. 

There are two different groups of artists who have made a "northern style" dugout in a modern strip plank style. Again no plan to follow or material anyone else could use, nor was it for anything more than the one personal use for the artist and for a large sum of money on the other. Nothing for education in any form, that is still only one style ship of the 7 styles of dugouts from this region.

Future Development and Expansion:

There is local plastic recycling, however nothing happens with the plastic that's useful on the local stage and the potential for that center or a new one to develop would be a useful partner. A start-up for recycled plastic processing center for the use with this endeavor would be of interest to local companies, organizations or future entrepreneurs. 

The potential for material use as a wood substitute material, these are all fields that would interest our growing economy and more full size ships being made and distributed = a boost to indigenous culture, local and state economy in the tourist industry and many more facets of indigenous education. There's been a grassroots effort to build up areas of adult education in our cultures such as adult culture camps, and those could be enhanced 10-fold with more accessible traditional water craft. 

I would push to partner with local, state or federal corporations, native originations, and of course educational institutes to work towards larger scale conversion of the material produced into large dugout style ships that could be likewise available to anyone and ship anywhere. There are some originations around the world that are producing boats with recycled plastics and have grown from small to large companies in a few short years by partnering with their communities.  

The Tlingit people and others native peoples in Alaska would gain heavily from our local museums being encouraged to repatriate request loaned traditional watercraft to our communities from collections around the world. Most have been hidden and kept in storage, wiping that history and connection from indigenous people all around the world. The exact number of dugouts from Alaska is unknown and most labeled as simply Alaska Indian, Eskimo, which pinpoints them only to a racist past which had a goal of genocide and taking our connection to each other and from our culture, which has been very successful.

Born and raised in Southeast Alaska. I've worked and learned from colleagues and birth speakers of mainly Tlingit languages but have also worked with those who now are certified teachers in their languages and have studied in part their efforts in revitalizing their traditional watercraft. I have worked with and studied what little curriculum there is, and it's clear the only growth has to come from someone who has built and understands the process. They can't have accurate knowledge or solid curriculum without accurate step by step for the different ship's design and style. Without the ships being made on a scale or full size, we can't conduct and further analysis  or understanding without having them built. No one has started any real study or documentation like I have created, and I already see the influence I've had on educators and some of the material they created with my help. I've pushed to have established artist ideas and plans into a reality in some areas, and the prospect to grow further is there. 

With ships that were designed for open ocean travel available to anyone, it would grow the market of classic wooden boats. Most classic wooden boats are meant for closed waters and to date "the best boat builders are on the East Coast of the US" Canoe Craft. Again the modern canoe and every modern personal ship is not meant for long voyages or get you home safe should the weather turn and Southeast AK the weather can turn on a dime and catches even the most prepared sailors off guard and has taken countless lives with modern ships.

Developing ships with green energy and larger ships like yachts in dugout style would open the door to vessels that are ocean going on any scale. 

Aiming at the education and construction would develop young minds to further enhance the market or production of traditional watercraft. Some water craft we used have already been taken by the western society and made their own with the production of kayaks, but there is not any being made with recycled plastic wood like material that's longer lasting and durable and the plastic canoe or kayak lacks the function and characteristics, of it's a wooden uncle. There has been research done in part for wood vs plastic paddles or ships, but not in detail that could again replace or enhance indigenous education in indigenous languages. 

The area of language enhancement would grow immensely with the addition of traditional watercraft as the focus of the curriculum, but it needs to be developed and modernized. 

One year: Develop scale working models to create functional blueprints. These blueprints would need to be created in software that would allow production of either CNC kits for construction on scale and full size scale. This would go hand in hand with the same blueprints being used to create 3D rendering to print out scale kits in different construction methods i.e. plank construction, plywood, recycled material as well could be the option.

Wood construction shouldn't be overlooked, as the original design from a tree trunk or scrap wood has foundational techniques and process that as well could be folded into curriculum in many areas.

Five years: Have several full size ships, some of which do not exist on a full size scale or functional scale, for nearly one hundred years. This would be a time-consuming and intensive effort that would benefit from a team that would as well need to be developed from the start, as the actual process and construction of dugouts for instants is one master carver and always been a different apprentice. There's always a lack of funds or actual apprenticeship which enables the apprentice to utilize their knowledge for future employment as again it is time-consuming, especially with the lack of specialized knowledge in boat building and or building a traditional ship from one solid tree. Most times these traditional ships cost a small fortune and end up collecting dust and are never used. This is a time and again failure by our people as well as those funding them, whereas schools teaching skin boat construction allow a student to walk away from a class with their own skin kayak. The same idea could be applied, but it would benefit 2–4 people working for a ship over a several month period to walk away with their own ship for a smaller group, school or themselves rather than a community or origination. Said team could as well be employed in the production and ongoing work to develop this endeavor, but without proper funding can't happen. In, teaching people to build and maintain their own traditional watercraft is the same as teaching a man to fish. Teach them to sustain themselves or their families, they will forever be connected to the land and all the resources to provided to their families and community. 

I plan to use the data and material created to develop more easily built kits for younger students, RC kits available as a completed kit, or beginning to advanced level construction on a scale kit level. Appealing to a wider audience with an ancient canoe style in a modern appeal would have an impact for growth. This would also open the door to further create lager scale ships with a Tlingit twist, that would be visually appealing and more than functional as it would have the seaworthiness of its ancient past. 

I would be tracking data of material where it would be used in a classroom setting. Based on my research so far and the none growth of Tlingit ships for instance over the past 100 years or the few years I've been pushing folks to learn more or even build more, I've noticed there's an interest, but there's also a lack of interest due to the lack of funding. In some areas, teachers in K-5 have drawn data to build up some curriculum, but efforts like everything are hindered again by lack of funds. There would be more interest if there were more hands on, but you can't wash your hands with one tied behind your back. 

More ships on the water is the biggest change, and getting more ships in construction with the last of our birth speakers is critical. Theirs language capabilities haven't been fully documented and though their knowledge in traditional boat building is not there, they would be key to grasping what knowledge they have with our heritage languages in boat building. One of the goals in this building up of traditional knowledge on our watercraft is being able to teach start to finish in our languages. There desperately needs to be further development of our languages in every level of education, and it's a proven fact, children who know more than one language are smarter children. This is a goal so many are working towards building up educational institutes and implementing our heritage languages, but most curriculum, educators are trying to reinvent the wheel when they do not need to. The development of indigenous curriculum in the fields we can cover would grow youth to be more than prepared for the global work force.

In Hawaii, they have curriculum derived from the hōkūlea which circumnavigates the globe. This curriculum covers advanced areas of study and has proven outcome that teaching through their culture and language has a huge benefit to their people and others.

The already accessible curriculum that has been created around dugouts in Tlingit Áaní is at the minimal level, and again that's due to not having educated individuals who know how to make them or know what it takes to make them build up said curriculum. The same goes for other peoples along the coast, most of our languages like the Eyak which was labeled as extinct, but it is indeed seeing growth. The growth is small and like so many others needs funding or indigenous educators who are pushing the envelope so to speak on what they are teaching and how but without the material and knowledge to do so they won't gain any ground and could see a stall or stand still if enough educators aren't trained in heritage languages as well as the knowledge to teach modern techniques and methods in their heritage languages. There's been growth in these fields, but again the growth is slow, and we've all lost more speakers doing the minimum simply because the money's not there to keep anyone in this field long enough to make an impact. 

This is where aiming to bring useful traditional construction knowledge would build the skill in construction, open the door to traditional life on the water and open so many other avenues of education that again can't grow without the solid foundation to grow that knowledge.

In creating model scale dugouts up to five feet, this would give the builder the knowledge to build a traditional dugout from a log to a seaworthy vessel without cutting down trees. Almost anywhere there's development of new housing and small size trees being removed. These could be utilized for small scale construction anywhere for models and depending on the type of wood, the ship designed could be tested in the right facility as to why we used one type of wood and not another. There's zero study as to why Spruce and Western Red Cedar make the best trees, but our ancestors knew they made the best from trial and error their teachers made but like the bulbous bow conception and so many other indigenous technology or knowledge, it's been overlooked and seen simply as primitive when in fact indigenous knowledge and methods have been used or culturally appropriated for the gain of modern medicine and so many other fields with no credit to indigenous peoples or very little in most cases.  

From what I have learned about my people, the Tlingit, We didn't have as many gender roles as we are led to believe. Most of the thinking people have is influenced by western education and thinking that is due to cultural genocide. The act of severing us from our past roots and ways of life has been largely successful, where most are dead set that one thing is just for women and this area that was for men should be men and women. None of which makes sense to me, if someone excels in a field they should have every opportunity to flourish in that field regardless of what they refer to themselves as. 

I have had a number of students who all identified as what they wanted, and everyone got what they put into their efforts. I'm a firm believer you get what you give, so if you want to be their learning, and you want to walk away with more than a grade you will. 

I foresee this endeavor growing into a large scale operation with partnerships outside this community and across the border. Again, everything balancing on funding and backing or support, it really can't grow without a solid nudge over the hill and there's so many people I have taught or worked with who would dedicate their time or their lives to furthering the development and ongoing education of traditional watercraft. There's numerous people who have already dedicated their life to education and development of Tlingit language, myself included, but we can't have just language. We need to have the hands on the side, otherwise, like we have the handwashing scenario with one tied behind the back. 

In all honesty, I have seen more women dedicating more time and physical effort to the hard work it takes to carve anything, it's a time-consuming and exhausting task to carve most anything yet time and again these days I have seen more young men who are just lazy, for the lack of better words. I have had an apprentice who was a young man who I want to include in this effort should it get off the ground as he put in the time and effort more than anyone else even committing his free time to the construction of a dugout which took several months to completion. He wasn't the only one, but he was my only real apprentice and one of the few who worked on his own to get far, and people with his dedication are few and far between. It's obvious, if more people had funding for such work, they would do it. That's where the development and incorporation of traditional watercraft and the work force should be hand in hand, but currently are not.

After establishing a verity of plans, data, and material that would be accessible to anyone, these materials would likewise be key to enhancing cultural and economic value. There's very successful companies growing from one of the several fields I am hoping to roll into one or inspire others to create or build on. 

Once the foundation of larger ships and the simpler construction template are laid out, production of large scale ships in a modern fashion or with green energy will be possible for cultural education, partnering with native originations in their tourist economy. The building of a facility that could house the construction and production of traditional vessels on every scale, that would open the door for prospects like a living museum, where we can house loaned or repatriated watercraft alongside the production of new vessels. This would have an impact with local, state, and tourist industry, all of which promote growth around the many indigenous cultures of Alaska.

There are major growth in cultural languages in Alaska, however the lack of any education around traditional watercraft use and construction and the lack there of cannot change and creating a hub for that interest to grow will enable other communities to benefit from the different avenues. Some establishments have in part some of these ideas in a working plan already, but none benefit the native people. Most of us in Southeast AK, were divided by the US Canadian border and that border has been just as effective in the attempted genocide as both sides of the border people don't know the other, some have gone life times not knowing anything about our once close relatives. So the benefits of a hub with many different avenues of traditional ship building would benefit peoples of the same tribe in the US and in Canada. The Canadian tribes of course having more access and support to funding and use of their traditional lands from their government. Glacier Bay for instance was my people's homeland, the people of Xunaa (Hoonah AK) lived in Glacier Bay and used it for harvesting our foods, and it was the main source for our thriving in that part of Southeast AK up until the US Government burned everyone's home and took everything from the land that is proof we lived there to make it a national park. Another dark part of history that's intentionally left out or re-worded to favor the Government actions for the displacement of native peoples.

With the proper software to further hone the foundational material, and showing where and how it can be folded into education or beneficial to the individual boating enthusiast as well as producing scale model kits, that can likewise be transformed to fit every level of education, so students in any grade can be building the knowledge and interest surrounding dugouts and watercraft. 

Partnering with local native corporations in further development and expansion surrounding traditional watercraft would be a growing field in which I hope could lead to research on the water in many fields, modeling off of the Polynesian Voyaging Society and their accomplishments. There are so many establishments doing in part or wholesome of what I hope to bring to one location and in fact Juneau AK was once an area where people from all around met for trading or just seeing relatives from far away and across what is now the US Canadian border.  

It would be an easier sell to the state museum to expand on or develop a wing dedicated to traditional watercraft and as well we could build on this knowledge with work shops or classes covering the many areas of education that can be covered with the construction of these nearly forgotten ships. 

I was in a field of educating at two different levels, both in the classroom and in a traditional dugout with youth. This and my other experience I was in the company of other educators and seen where the growth could or should take place but working two full time jobs couldn't develop any part of except the ability to teach how to construct these so many ships. I have had the time as well to research the construction and methods of boats on the world scale, along with the growth of the boating industry. There's interest and technology to further develop new ships people haven't seen or used on scales such as yachts and as small as a classroom project. But the growth just isn't there in any one location. Looking at methods and techniques from around the globe, it would be beneficial to roll most into one area where it would make an impact. More or less taking a page out of the accomplished boat building industry and developing our crippled history into a business that would aid in creating future engineers, architects, or providing a fresh "new" boat(s) that no one on the world scale know anything about. This would surly open the door to other well funded individuals who could do more in a day with their wealth, but really wouldn't have anything if it wasn't brought out at all.  

So far the knowledge and skill to build and teach building is my foundation to make this grow but as just another native who's not in the rich side the field growth will forever be slow when it needs to change while we can utilize what few birth speakers we have and their knowledge. Without these birth speakers, further growth in indigenous languages and culture will be like it was when they destroyed every ship, stole and killed children, divided all of us with a border or taking our languages by force. But as strong as we are now, we just don't have funding or support to make any change in our school systems that support our languages and traditional ways of life.