Patrick Calihou, a M茅tis craftsman from Pitt Meadows, is leading a new bateau exhibit at Fort 91原创 National Historic Site (FLNHS) 鈥� he鈥檒l be constructing a 40-foot-long York boat by hand over the next several months.
Visitors will be able to watch the work take place from now to January, and chat with Calihou, who has a personal connection to the Hudson鈥檚 Bay Company鈥檚 boats.
Calihou comes from a long line of voyageurs. He traces his roots as far back as his great-great-great grandfather, Louis Calihou, who was born in 1782 and worked for the Northwest Company.
His great-great grandfather, Michel Calihou, born in 1823, worked for the Hudson鈥檚 Bay Company in Edmonton for nearly 30 years as a river boat pilot from Athabasca to Fort Garry.
Today, Calihou makes his living as a carver, crafting paddles and designs while presenting his culture to classrooms and tourists.
鈥淚 started carving when I was 11 or 12, making shapes out of soap stone with a file,鈥� Calihou recalled.
He said it was finding his connection to the M茅tis culture that look far longer to uncover than his interest in woodwork.
鈥淢y family came from Alberta in the thirties, a time when indigenous people weren鈥檛 even allowed to live in city limits,鈥� Calihou explained. 鈥淢y dad didn鈥檛 learn about his history and my mom was too busy raising me and my siblings.鈥�
After traversing past his Cree lineage and speaking with family members, a book titled Education for M茅tis Reconciliation contained much information on his M茅tis heritage.
York boats were a specialized indigenous designed modes of transportation used by the Hudson鈥檚 Bay Company to carry furs and trade goods along inland waterways.
Calihou said he will be using a mixture of fur, spruce, and possibly even hemlock to construct the boat 鈥� depending on what will be available.
He will use an array of hand tools to get the job done, specifically chisels, files, and mallets to carve out the design, while contending with seasonal weather with a tent, heater, and determination to get the job done.
鈥淚t will be something to honour all of the M茅tis people who live before, who are here now, and all that will come come after,鈥� Calihou explained.
Once it鈥檚 completed, the boat won鈥檛 be going anywhere. Though Calihou said it鈥檚 a dream of his to paddle an authentic York boat, this one will be left on site for people to interact with an actually sit in.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not something you just read about in a book, you can actually touch it and see what our ancestors had to go through to get around,鈥� Calihou added. 鈥淐an you imagine paddling a boat like this on their diet? They we鈥檙e strong.鈥�
Calihou said he鈥檒l be carving on site Monday to Friday, behind the walls of the Fort at a temporary set-up.
Fort 91原创 National Historic Site is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and located 23433 Mavis Ave.
Read More: Fort 91原创 honours two influential Canadian historical figures
More information on Calihou can be found on his professional page.
Calihou additionally travels to local schools to showcase his culture through woodworking; he built a model Red River cart for FLNHS last year, which now sits on display in the Big House.
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Email: ryan.uytdewilligen@langleyadvancetimes.com
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