Making Birch Boards

A set of 55 photos of Isaac Herman La Loche cutting down a birch tree and making boards that can be cut and shaped for use in making canoes, buildings, or snowshoes. -p01: Isaac Herman heads up Bear Creek towards Linvall Lake. -p02: This is the forest along the route. -p03: Isaac walks along the trail towards the birch area. -p04: He is looking for possible birch trees. -p05: He checks the grain and soundness of a tree, but this one is too crooked. -p06: He looks at other trees in the area. -p07: This looks like a good straight one. -p08: Yes, this one is good and Isaac begins to cut it down. -p09: This is the angle at which the cut is made. -p10: One side is cut and Isaac begins on the other side. -p11: Here we can see both cuts. -p12: The tree is cut down. -p13: A stick is cut to use as a measure. -p14: The desired length is measured out. -p15: He marks where the cut will be made -p16: The log is cut to length. -p17: Now he begins to score a line along which the log will be split. -p18: He is now finishing one side. -p19: Isaac now cuts a groove along the scored line. -p20: The groove along the first side is almost completed. -p21: The log is turned over and a groove started on this side. -p22: The groove is now almost complete. -p23: A view along the log. -p24: Isaac now begins to split the log with his axe. -p25: When the axe is no longer effective Isaac goes to find a dry spruce. -p26: He has cut a piece of the spruce to the size he wants. -p27: He now cuts it into wedges and sharpens them. -p28: The first wedge is in place. -p29: Isaac begins to pound in a second one. -p30: The second wedge is in place and Isaac tries his axe again. -p31: As the wedges are driven in deeper the log begins to crack. -p32: Working along the crack he splits the log further. -p33: As the groove widens the first wedge comes out. -p34: He continues splitting along the groove with the axe. -p35: A wedge is moved ahead and pounded in again. -p36: The split opens up as it goes in. -p37: Moved along and driven in again it forces the log to split wider. -p38: Now the axe is used to help split the log. -p39: A second wedge is driven in to open the split wider. -p40: The log is now split in half. -p41: One end is wedged between two trees. -p42: Isaac begins to trim the log. -p43: This will become one side of the board. -p44: A view of the lake as we leave to travel back. -p45: At the north end of Linvall Lake we set a net for whitefish. -p46: Looking south along the lake. -p47: On the way back we stop at one of IsaacÂ’s old cabin sites. -p48: The trees are growing up again now. -p49: Another view of the old site. -p50: This was one of the old buildings. -p51: Back at our camp Isaac continues to shape the boards. -p52: The boards can be cut and shaped for making canoes, buildings, or snowshoes. -p53 The trees hold the board firmly as Isaac works. -p54: From our camp we can see the mouth of Bear Creek. -p55: And to the east are the narrows into Palmbere Lake.

Historical note:

Photos of Isaac Herman in the Dene community of La Loche making birch boards that can be used in the construction of a wood-and-canvas canoe, snowshoes, buildings, and other projects, taken in 1977 by Larry Hewitt while on contract with the Academic Education Branch of the Department of Northern Saskatchewan.