On February 1, the community gathered for a meal celebration
for the completion of a handmade canoe.
Ho-Chunk Nation youth and other tribal youth working under the guidance
of Gene Delcourt. The Madison
Metropolitan School District Title VI sponsored the event and the project that
began in October 2023.
Native American Teacher Leader Tara Tindall welcomed
everyone and asked Elias Heimlich to say a prayer over the meal.
“Odie (Orlando Ike) and Cher (Laubmeier) were really
supportive throughout the process,” said Tindall. They allowed the use of the backroom of the
Ho-Chunk Nation Madison Branch Office for the project.
The canoe was on display while community members ate a
potluck dinner. Shaya Schrieber from the
school district said an art teacher would like to store the canoe after completion.
“Here in Madison, it’s rare if we get opportunities to
experience our indigenous culture and this is one of those rare and precious
times,” said Tara Tindall.
Gene Delcourt provided a brief explanation of the canoe-making
process. “This is a birch bark style
canoe and very little of it is traditional material,” Delcourt began. He explained that he read a book and watched
tutorial videos to figure out how to craft a canoe.
They used marine-grade plywood. It softens when heated. They soaked the wood for one day and used a
clothing steamer to bend the boards.
Then, they placed the boards into platforms until the boards
cooled. Then, they cut the boards to
conform to an oval shape. A polyurethane
calk was used to seam the boards together.
Parachute cord was used to lash it.
Then, the tale was added. The
school district purchased cedar wood to make up the ribs. However, they kept breaking. Ash wood replaced the cedar wood. Pine boards made up the inner lining. Four screws were placed for carrying the
canoe.
Youth and Odie painted images on the canoe. The handprints were the signatures of the
youth.
Tara Tindall then presented youth participation awards to Kyen
Schreiber, Carter Byinton, Gabriel Christner, and Elias Heimlich. Those not in attendance and were mentioned
were Devin Starr and Landyn Morris. Adults who also received an award were Shaya
Schreiber, Rachel Byington, and Forest Smart.
Orlando Ike presented Gene Delcourt with a token of
gratitude, a golden eagle wooden statue.
Then, he presented a crystal eagle statue to Elias Heimlich. “I’m thankful to be a part of this
canoe. We still have to find a name for
this canoe because there was a Ho-Chunk, Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Omaha that
worked on this canoe.”
Odie welcomed those in attendance to view the canoe up close,
and the mic was open to anyone who wanted to say something.
The event closed with remarks from Representative Lambert Cleveland,
Jr.