Mishoon History
Mishoon History
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mishoon (mi-shün) (sometimes spelled muhshoon) n. pl. mishoonash. A dugout canoe made from a fresh tree log, shaped through a process of burning, scraping, and cutting.
History of the "Feeding the Fire" Project
History of the "Feeding the Fire" Project
This project grew out of an effort by staff members from The Wayside Inn Foundation (TWIF) to learn more about local Indigenous history. What began as a conversation between TWIF and Mashpee Wampanoag and Nipmuc representatives about ways to collaborate and partner evolved into a mishoon project proposal and Sudbury Foundation grant application.
The grant request for $23,000 that covered the cost of project expenses allowed many in the Indigenous community who might not otherwise be able to take the time away from work to participate. This money also covered the cost of supplies and food. TWIF, Ockway Bay Wampum, and No Loose Braids are all thankful for the Sudbury Foundation's funding and the opportunity to bring this educational project to the Metrowest community.
Learning more about Indigenous history requires us to explore sources beyond the dusty archives within museums and books written largely by white men. This knowledge-building requires us to listen to oral histories, examine cultural artifacts, and observe long-held traditions. This project strengthened the partnership between TWIF and the local Indigenous community. It also provided one big step toward filling in the missing gaps in the history of Sudbury and The Wayside Inn Historic Site.
ABOVE: A 10th century dugout boat found in the Oder river in Poland. Presented in the Świdnica museum near Zielona Góra. (Photo is in the public domain.)
History of Dugout Canoes
History of Dugout Canoes
Techniques for dugout canoes made through a process of burning and scraping have existed for millennia. Ancient vessels of this sort have been found submerged in water or mud, often intact, all over the world. The oldest artifact of this type is believed to be the Pesse Canoe in the Netherlands, with carbon dates between 8040 BCE and 7510 BCE. The oldest known dugout canoes in the Americas were two recently discovered canoes about 100 feet apart in Wisconsin's Lake Mendota, with ages of 1,200 and 3,000 years.
The earliest dugout canoes were made with stone tools and fire. Trees were felled with the aid of fire and clay to hold the heat, in addition to axes and adzes. Once the tree was down, the same process was used to remove the top of the tree. Using fire on both ends helps to cauterize and seal the ends. After removing all the log's bark, a controlled burning technique is used to shape the inside of the canoe and seal the inside hollow. Additionally, as the fire burns, sap from the tree is pushed out, which seals the log and makes the canoe watertight.
Today's mishoonash are made with with help of modern equipment, such as metal hatchets, chainsaws, tractors, and blowtorches. However, the process of burning and scraping to shape the inside remains much the same as in centuries past. Once the bark has been removed and the sides shaped, the log is elevated with additional wood to keep the bottom slightly off the ground. A fire is then built on top of the log, with firewood added to keep the fire burning. At the same time, water is poured along the edges to keep the sides from burning away. This constant balance between fire and water is what creates the canoe shape. Periodic scraping helps to shape the mishoon and eliminate hotspots that create holes.
ABOVE: The finished "Feeding the Fire" Mishoon floating in Josephine's Pond.
Making a mishoon is about more than the need for something useful. For some people, the mishoon provides an opportunity to learn more about the science, engineering, and technology behind the process. For others, it is an opportunity to be outdoors and heal from the social ills that plague some of us. Most importantly, it is a mechanism for building community, sharing stories, and passing along traditions. For the Indigenous community in the United States, sharing these traditions was limited and sometimes illegal. Modern-day mishoonash made by local Nipmuc and Wampanoag communities are created through a combination of knowledge passed along by elders, research in archives, and learning by doing. The more mishoonash an individual helps to make, the more they can fine-tune techniques and build upon their knowledge for future projects.
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