White Earth 4-H youth, families, elders, volunteers and community members joined together during the summer of 2024 to undertake the momentous task of building a 15 ½ foot birchbark canoe or jiimaan, in the Ojibwe language.
Over two weeks at Little Elbow Lake Tribal Park in Naytahwaush in June, 250 people visited and participated in the canoe building camp, including two schools holding summer programming.
Cultural activities included lacrosse games, art, learning about wild traditional foods, fishing, smoking fish, language and more.
On the first day of the canoe build, during a storm, the youth named the canoe Buffalo Thunder.
Canoe as harvester
The canoe build was initiated as an engineering project through Minnesota 4-H STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), a University of Minnesota Extension youth development program.
“White Earth 4-H teens also chose to learn about Indigenous foods and Indigenous plant identification,” says Dana Trickey, Extension 4-H youth development educator. “Building a canoe was a next step because it is an essential tool for harvesting many foods on and near the abundant water systems in our northern country.”
Food accessibility is a broader issue for these youth, as American Indians are more likely to live in areas with low or no access to fresh foods than any other group, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This food insecurity and related issues contribute to health problems, shortened life spans and reduced quality of life.
Into the woods
The 4-H’ers didn’t go to the lumber yard for this project. The dedicated canoe crew of youth and volunteers harvested the supplies and materials from the woods themselves over the two months prior to the build, cutting bark from birch trees for the skin of the canoe, gathering cedar for the ribs and gathering spruce roots to hold the canoe together. No nails or screws are used.
“It was a lot of time learning in the woods and some bug bites,” says Trickey.
Off to the fair
On Aug. 18, the 4-H’ers and their adult leaders loaded the canoe onto the bed of a pickup truck to head to the Minnesota State Fair. Each year, Extension hosts more than 4,000 young people at the 4-H Building and barns as they showcase the knowledge and skills they've gained throughout the year and receive recognition and feedback. The canoe crew, including Deja Jackson, 11 years old, greeted the audience in Ojibwe and described the process and learning.
Of the whole experience, Deja says, “My favorite part was speaking on stage, next to building the canoe, of course.”
Youth continue to use the canoe and teach about it, including through a PBS documentary that will air in 2025, highlighting a fall excursion on the lake to demonstrate the wild rice harvest.
Learning and leading
Just days after the fair, members of the group boarded a plane to Washington, D.C., to present at the True Leaders in Equity Institute youth conference, an inclusive teen National 4-H Council event.
Teens presented on the evolution of their work serving the community, including the canoe as it is an important tool for harvesting traditional foods.
“Whether they are building a canoe or doing any other project, teens and younger 4-H members learn alongside one another, providing connection and leadership,” says Trickey. “Of all the importance achieved by this enormous project, the canoe build gave the youth a deep understanding and pride in their Anishinabeg culture and a realization of their ability to achieve whatever they set out to do.”
To learn more about the White Earth Tribal 4-H youth program, contact Dana Trickey at [email protected].
Author: Catherine Dehdashti
In Dana's words
It was early June, supplies had been collected, camp was set up and the crew was on standby the evening before the work was to begin.
Early the next morning, a powerful storm rolled in, with abundant rain, thunder and lightning. On the weather radar, the storm looked just like a rearing buffalo. As the canoe camp began with an opening ceremony, the crew began to call the canoe Buffalo Thunder.
The rain fell throughout the first day of camp, drizzling with bouts of heavy downpours. The weather was perfect for rolling out the birchbark.
Youth, with adult guidance and teaching, cleaned, measured, centered and framed the 17-foot-long roll of birchbark. Had it been a warm and dry day, the bark would begin to curl and warp quickly. The damp air allowed the bark to be effortlessly formed to shape, and for Nate Johnson, canoe builder, to take his time teaching the crew of dedicated youth and adults each step.
During breaks, youth played lacrosse in the rain and enjoyed a hardy camp meal. By the end of the first day, the crew was wet, cold and tired, but it was all worth it to see the canoe begin to come to life.
Over the next 10 days, we would see sunshine, welcome visitors, share teachings, eat well, learn new skills, work hard, play hard, feel exhaustion, develop lasting friendships, revitalize deep traditional culture and share a sense of pride in our work. We would put everything we had into this canoe build, into the youth and families that were learning and participating. We would see our youth thrive in a cultural setting with traditional mentorship and love.
A group of three youth and three adults from the main canoe crew attended the Minnesota State Fair to see the canoe on display and speak about it to an audience of interested visitors.
Upon walking into the 4-H Building and through the many 4-H youth displays from across the state, Buffalo Thunder was spotted on a display platform all its own. The youth were quiet and wide-eyed as they approached, finding the canoe a true sight to behold in the 4-H Building, with a rope around it and a screen displaying all the photos from the weeks of work.
It was a much different sight than seeing the canoe in the rain, in the woods or on the water, and a much different experience for them, having thousands of strangers appreciate the canoe and the hard work they had done over the summer. There was a sudden realization of the magnitude of value they had contributed to the world.
The next day, the youth were scheduled to speak onstage. Having walked across the state fairgrounds on one of the hottest days of the summer, we arrived at the 4-H Building overheated and sweaty.
We were met with a cool drink of water, lemonade and 4-H cardboard fans, and we prepared ourselves for the talk. Deja Jackson, 11 years old, agreed to introduce the group and greet the audience in Ojibwe to get us started. She did a beautiful job, leading each member to be a little more comfortable speaking. After the presentation onstage, the group went downstairs to take photos with the canoe and talk about their project.
By Dana Trickey, 4-H youth development educator, White Earth
Permission is granted to news media to republish our news articles with credit to University of Minnesota Extension. Images also may be republished; please check for specific photographer credits or limited use restrictions in the photo title.