Birch bark canoe build an exercise in tradition and understanding

When the birch bark canoe Chuck Commanda is building goes into the Wye River Thursday afternoon, it will provide a bridge to the past that goes back 4,500 years.

Armed with the accumulated knowledge of his ancestors, Commanda approaches the build with a journeyman’s dedication — patiently completing one job before attending to the next, his hands busy shaping, carving and smoothing each and every component of the canoe, ensuring a water-tight fit.

“When I was growing up, we did all of this by hand,” Commanda said, working inside a pop-up tent in the courtyard of Elmvale District High School (EDHS), where he’s been set-up since last Monday. “Today, because of time, I use some power tools but it’s the same process, the same technique.”

Commanda learned how to build the birch bark canoe under the direction and guidance of his grandparents, William and Mary Commanda, while growing up in the community of Kitigan Zibi, Quebec, about 90 minutes north of Ottawa.

“My grandmother would explain everything because she was patient,” the 64-year-old craftsman said. “My grandfather, who had no patience, would do the work and she would explain what he was doing.”

While his grandfather was busy building, the young Commanda absorbed everything his grandmother told him. 

He learned where to find the right trees and how to select the best ones for building. He learned about spring bark and winter bark and how to harvest both to ensure the vessel was water-tight and wouldn’t leak. He learned why his ancestors replaced bindings made from animal parts in favour of spruce roots. 

“Wisdom comes from the land,” Commanda said. “There was a time when they used ‘babish’— moosehide string — to bind everything but the critters would gnaw at it which would compromise the structure.

“They got tired of repairing them and one day, someone pulled on a spruce root. They tested it and it was surprisingly strong. It was also bitter to the critters so they wouldn’t eat it.”

Commanda, a member of the Algonquin Nation, is at EDHS through an invitation from the school’s principal Mark Ruzylo, who sees much more in Commanda’s work than just a mode of transportation.

“This is not just about building a canoe,” Ruzylo said. “It’s about building connections.

“If we just see it as a construction project only, we’re missing the greater messages.”

According to Ruzylo, when the canoe is finished and put into the Wye River — a ceremony called birthing — the connection will become apparent.

“The mouth of the Wye is where Sainte Marie Among the Hurons is,” Ruzylo said. “The fact that we can connect our students and our school and this canoe and have it birth in the river behind the school on the Wye River is significant. It connects us to Sainte Marie, which connects us to Georgian Bay, which connects us to Beausoleil Island which connects us to Christian Island, to the French River and then to Manitoulin Island.

“It’s indicative of the connections we have and it reaffirms that sense of connection,” he added.

Additionally, Ruzylo said, the canoe plays a pivotal role in understanding other parts of the curriculum.

For example, in math, students can explore the ribs of the canoe as a series of parabolas. In physics, students can learn about volume and displacement. In geography, students can look at watercourses and eco zones. In history, the canoe brings transportation and trade to life. In tech, the birch bark canoe’s design comes to the forefront.

“I think in order to make learning meaningful it has to be tied to something concrete,” Ruzylo said. “We often look at experiential learning as a way to reinforce the lessons and the canoe is an incredible teaching tool because of the principles connected to it.”