Canoa Documentary
In the summer of 2022 the Centre for Indigenous Relations, Knowledge & Learning (CIRKL) and Indigenous Student Services (ISS) organized the building of a traditional birch bark canoe with the instruction of master canoe builder, Chuck Commanda. With kind support from the McKeil family, Chuck led a group of five students through the entire build, which took place over two weeks at the Hoop Dance at Fennell Campus. Many staff and students came by the location to watch and learn. The process was documented by the Mohawk College Marketing team and produced into a short documentary film called Canoa.
The boat was launched at Christie Conservation Area in July, with the official launch dedicated to Chuck’s friend Stephen Hunter, who passed away shortly before the scheduled build. The bark for the canoe was harvested from Stephen’s property in Bancroft, Ontario.
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