The sturgeon-nose canoe Paul Montgomery built for Harry Wong brought Harry closer to his Sinixt ancestors.
photographs courtesy of Paul Montgomery and Harry Wong
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Thank you, Paul, for sharing about your boat and its people and history. I have built 2 Pygmy kayaks, so I have some sense of what you have done. My daughter lives in Port Townsend, which is a great place to paddle. I live in Oregon.
Great looking craft. Nice job Paul. A very informing article. I, myself had never heard of the Sinixt People. Thumbs up to Chris and Small Boats Monthly for enlightening me. See! At 70 you can still learn.
Todd
Thanks all. I built this because it was an opportunity to do something unique and different. I never thought that it would touch so many people or that I would have a book shelf with information about an “extinct” people.
Beautiful result of a really worthwhile project! This is really “experimental archaeology” – like Thor Heyerdahl’s KON-TIKI and RA expeditions on a smaller scale, creating a living connection to the past.
Fascinating, thank you. In 1989, I was privileged to be involved with the beginnings of the Sinixt journey out of extinction and worked with them for a number of years, an experience that changed my life and for the better. A Twist in Coyote’s Tale (Archive Publishing 2006) is the memoir I wrote, and I have since been in contact with Harry Wong .
Good article except for an important factual error. The extinction of the Sinixt in Canada is still in effect. It has not been overturned. This error comes, I believe, from the Colville Confederated Tribes misinformation about the Desautel Hunting Case. Rick Desautel’s case enshrined the right of the Sinixt to hunt in Canada but in no way changes the extinction. They are still not a recognized First Nation in Canada under the Indian Act and thus do not have the rights other recognized First Nations do.
We finally got a decision from the Supreme Court on this and at least have hunting rights back now.
Good point. One thing that is not talked about is the Sinixt, as it is referred, fails to recognized the living, breathing relatives here up in Canada. Now known as the Sylix or Okanagan. We are one of the same Blood and are very alive today. Your point is spot on as the extinction is not addressed, and that is error for sure.
A beautiful canoe. The Slocan River is where I live and where the Sinixt live and have lived for over 3000 years, as a recently carbon dated pithouse at Lemon Creek on Perry Ridge attests to. There is an important Petition for Sinixt autonomy as well as cancelling “the extinction” is available for Canadians to sign and I encourage you to sign it. You can contact me for a copy: [email protected]. For more information about the area visit http://www.perryridge.org
The treatment of our First Nation people around the globe is not good and we should use this current crisis to recognise the diversity of people and celebrate this in all our lives. From our elders we learn how to respect and sustain the core things for our very survival.
Could we get some feedback about the strengths and weaknesses of the design/construction / use of this boat? I can see how it could easily get into tall reeds etc. It is quite narrow so should track well. The little deadrise means that resistance to tipping may be an issue. The open boat means not much assistance in keeping the water out.
The fact that we have a living version of an old craft design is a very positive affirmation of the long existence of both the design and the people who carried the information in their heads. It is something to celebrate. Thank you.
Hello!
Here some pictures of the canoe Mark-IV (payload 250 Kg) I had made with the documentation in this page one year ago
Frame, baseboard & string
Sandwich of skins
Paddles
With a bow and stern shaped like this, there is less push and pull from the ends, so less weight on the paddler. An interesting contribution.
I feel that there is going to be more of these boats built. I will certainly be interested in getting involved in Nakusp .