![Vajda_Attila](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/Vajda_Attila.jpg)
Canadian is the byname used in some countries for the descendants of the
birch bark
Birch bark or birchbark is the bark of several Eurasian and North American birch trees of the genus ''Betula''.
The strong and water-resistant cardboard-like bark can be easily cut, bent, and sewn, which has made it a valuable building, craftin ...
canoe that was used by the
indigenous peoples of Northern America as a convenient means of transportation in the densely forested and impassable
areas of Northern America.
In the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
and several other European countries the
kayak is considered to be a kind of
canoe
A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle.
In British English, the ter ...
. (Technically this is understandable, as one can easily see when a whitewater kayak is converted into a decked whitewater canoe just by taking the seat out and paddle it kneeling with a single blade paddle.) To distinguish canoes from kayaks, a
touring,
whitewater
Whitewater forms in a rapid context, in particular, when a river's gradient changes enough to generate so much turbulence that air is trapped within the water. This forms an unstable current that froths, making the water appear opaque and ...
and racing
canoe
A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle.
In British English, the ter ...
are then often called 'Canadian canoe' or 'Canadian' for short — e.g.
Canadier in
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
,
Kanadensare in
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
,
Canadees in
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
, et cetera.
This naming practice has led to confusion, with
sea kayak
A sea kayak or touring kayak is a kayak developed for the sport of paddling on open waters of lakes, bays, and the ocean. Sea kayaks are seaworthy small boats with a covered deck and the ability to incorporate a spray deck. They trade off the man ...
s called sea canoes, kayakers called canoeists, and canoes sometimes even called 'Canadian kayaks'... It was one of the reasons why women were not allowed to canoe at the
Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a vari ...
until 2020, as one of the arguments was that women were already allowed because a kayak is a canoe.
History
![Dickerson-C1a](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Dickerson-C1a.jpg)
The use of the byname 'Canadian' is the result of misinterpretations during the development of the sport of canoeing in the 19th century when an open
touring canoe was called 'Canadian canoe' from the so called ''Canadian style canoe'' from
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, the then more or less 'approved' open touring canoe by the
American Canoe Association
The American Canoe Association (ACA) is the oldest and largest paddle sports organization in the United States, promoting canoeing, kayaking, and rafting. The ACA sponsors more than seven hundred events each year, along with safety education, ...
(ACA), as opposed to the wood-and-
canvas touring canoe from
Maine
Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...
in the United States that was not officially recognized by the ACA until 1934.
For the canoeing clubs and associations of the late 19th century a canoe was a decked, double-ended boat, propelled with a double-blade paddle or sailed. At that time those organizations for large part consisted of somewhat elitist
ealthypeople with the opinion that one should be able to sail well with a touring canoe.
[With the adage "Sail if you can, paddle if you must."] Therefore, from the open canoes only the cedar-rib 'Canadian style' canoe was approved by them. The birchbark canoe was considered inferior and its direct descendant the wood-and-canvas canoe "a rag canoe, only suitable for workmen and primitive natives"
ic The wood-and-canvas canoe was however easier to manufacture and maintain than a cedar-rib canoe and therefore less expensive, which made it much more popular.
In America the canoe lost its qualifying prefix 'Canadian' not long afterwards. In several European countries though, people were not aware of these discrepancies and continued calling all kind of canoes 'Canadians' — even the decked whitewater canoes and, ironically, the wood-and-canvas canoe...
See also
*
Outline of Canoeing and Kayaking
The following outline is provided as an overview of canoeing and kayaking:
Canoeing – recreational boating activity or paddle sport in which you kneel or sit facing forward in an open or closed-decked canoe, and propel yourself with a s ...
*
John MacGregor
Notes
References
General References
External links
Peterborough 'Canadian style' canoe at National Maritime Museum Cornwall:
The 'Canadian style' canoe was based on both the dugout and birchbark canoe from the Algonquin
Algonquin or Algonquian—and the variation Algonki(a)n—may refer to:
Languages and peoples
*Algonquian languages, a large subfamily of Native American languages in a wide swath of eastern North America from Canada to Virginia
**Algonquin la ...
and built with a cedar-rib construction, also sometimes dubbed as a "planked dugout"
Payne dugout canoe at the Virtual museum of Canada.:
The brothers Jacob Henry and William Alfred Payne of Warsaw, Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
built this dugout canoe circa 1890. Instead of using a cedar-rib construction, they followed the tradition of carving a dugout canoe from a single basswood trunk but adopted the traditional shape of a birchbark canoe. The Algonquin
Algonquin or Algonquian—and the variation Algonki(a)n—may refer to:
Languages and peoples
*Algonquian languages, a large subfamily of Native American languages in a wide swath of eastern North America from Canada to Virginia
**Algonquin la ...
style lines of the craft are related to the area in which the craft was built. The Warsaw, Ontario area is known for its rich canoe racing traditions.
John Stephenson, supposed inventor of the cedar-rib canoe in Canada
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Canoes
Fur trade