Canoe Bailer

Canoe bailers are used to remove excess water out of the bottom of canoes. Barnett notes: "The implement was effective as a scoop rather than as a dipper, and as such could be manipulated rapidly. The Cowichans and Nanaimo added a large wooden ladle for bailing (1955:116)."

This canoe bailer is part of a larger collection of objects honouring Maggie Pointe, sister of Shane Pointe and Gina Grant. On February 1, 2003, it was used for a memorial potlatch at Musqueam to honour the life of Maggie Pointe and was then given away, as is the custom, to the UBC Museum of Anthropology. On March 18, 2003 it was featured in the exhibit "To Wash Away the Tears," a collaboration between Shane, Gina, MOA and the students of the Critical Curatorial Studies MA program.

mortuary; water travel

Canoe bailers are made from rectangular pieces of cedar bark. The bark is harvested from living trees in the spring when the sap is running, usually between May and June. A prayer, and sometimes an offering, is made to the tree for the gift of its skin. An incision is made with an axe, or other bladed implement, and the bark is peeled off by pulling from side to side. It is better to peel the tree this way, because it will result in a wider piece. If you pull straight back from the tree the bark will quickly narrow to a thin strip. Only the width of two hands is taken so that no harm will be done to the tree. The canoe bailer is made from a short rectangular piece, and the outer bark is removed from the end portions. The pliable ends are pleated and secured to a handle with strips of cedar bark or some other type of twine.

Cedar bark canoe bailer with wooden handle. The bailer is made of bark folded up at each end. The ends are secured to the round wooden handle with cedar bark rope. The outer bark is still attached to the bottom of the bailer.