Native-Art-in-Canada has affiliate relationships with some businesses and may receive a commission if readers choose to make a purchase.

The Significance of "To Provide" in the Ojibwa Culture

You might have missed the significance of the verb provide. I wrote that the birch tree would provide us with a piece of bark. If you check out the word in a dictionary or thesaurus you'll note that 'provide' means to give or to offer or to make available. Before receiving the gift of bark we thanked the tree for it's life and it's contribution to our lives. It had spent many, many, years making itself into a tall straight tree that might become a canoe. Not every tree had been able to accomplish that in it's lifetime. We were honoured that this particular tree had made itself available to become our canoe.

 

Return to How to Build a Birchbark Canoe

---