Siberian bark lodges

[torjusg]

I am planning on making either a Siberian bark lodge or a birch-bark canoe this summer (made a crappy spruce bark canoe last summer). Regarding the bark lodge. Is it a seam that one can see down the middle of the sheets? In that case what purpose does it serve and how is it sewn?

Couldn't find any good pictures. But such seams can be vaguely seen in one of the pictures in this link:
http://donsmaps.com/reindeerpeople.html

Torjus Gaaren

 

[pierre girard]

I am planning on making either a Siberian bark lodge or a birch-bark canoe this summer (made a crappy spruce bark canoe last summer). Regarding the bark lodge. Is it a seam that one can see down the middle of the sheets? In that case what purpose does it serve and how is it sewn?

Couldn't find any good pictures. But such seams can be vaguely seen in one of the pictures in this link:
http://donsmaps.com/reindeerpeople.html

Torjus Gaaren

Looks quite similar to Ojibwe nassawaogan (pointed lodge) Observed the following on the link.

"Orochon women seated before a tent in a forest clearing. This picture shows clearly how tents are faced with strips of birch bark about two feet wide and twenty feet long. The material is impregnated with natural juices before use."

No idea what the "natural juices" refers to. Ojibwe bark rolls are traditionally about 10 feet by 3 feet. They are sewn together with split spruce root through a withe of split cedar (one to each side). The cedar withe reinforces the seam. The unrolled bark is held in place (on the nassawaogan) with poles leaned against the outside of the lodge. This allows the rolls to be removed and used in another location.

To get good draw from your firepit - dig two tunnels from your firepit to the door area of your lodge.

PG

 

[CLEM]

Thanks for posting the link,very very interesting reading

 

[torjusg]

Looks quite similar to Ojibwe nassawaogan (pointed lodge) Observed the following on the link.

"Orochon women seated before a tent in a forest clearing. This picture shows clearly how tents are faced with strips of birch bark about two feet wide and twenty feet long. The material is impregnated with natural juices before use."

No idea what the "natural juices" refers to. Ojibwe bark rolls are traditionally about 10 feet by 3 feet. They are sewn together with split spruce root through a withe of split cedar (one to each side). The cedar withe reinforces the seam. The unrolled bark is held in place (on the nassawaogan) with poles leaned against the outside of the lodge. This allows the rolls to be removed and used in another location.

To get good draw from your firepit - dig two tunnels from your firepit to the door area of your lodge.

PG

Thank you very much, Pierre!

The natural juices is probably wrong. Birch bark doesn't need impregnation. Thanks for the tips on the sewing, but I have read somewhere that boilling makes them more pliable.

Are they sewed on the edges as well, to prevent sideways splitting I mean? I am assuming that they keep the direction of the bark the same way as they do in the pictures.

Torjus Gaaren

 

[pierre girard]

Thank you very much, Pierre!

The natural juices is probably wrong. Birch bark doesn't need impregnation. Thanks for the tips on the sewing, but I have read somewhere that boilling makes them more pliable.

Are they sewed on the edges as well, to prevent sideways splitting I mean? I am assuming that they keep the direction of the bark the same way as they do in the pictures.

Torjus Gaaren

TG:

I wonder where you heard that? You can use water, or heat. I would never boil birch bark. I tried it years ago and ended up with a mess. In my experieince it warps the bark beyond use. Boiling also has a tendency to seperate the layers.

Dunk the bark in water (not hot) for at least 20 minutes - it will become pliable (preferred method). Only the inner side becomes really pliable - the white (outer side) is the water proof side. You can also use heat - maybe something like a heat gun or small torch (be careful). Use one method or the other - not both together.

The rolls are made from horizontal (as you cut it from the standing tree) pieces fastened vertical end to vertical end. The cedar withe that you are sewing through at the seam prevents the edges from splitting. The upper and lower cuts (horizontal) will not split - once they are dressed - and need not be sewn. Try to do your harvest, end of June - beginning of July (unless things are radically different in Norge). The bark will almost pop off the tree.

Historically: When an Ojibwe woman would move her wigiwam to a new site - she would remove the poles that held the bark in place. She would leave the ribs in situ (as she would probably be returning to the same spot next year). She would use a torch or water to make the bark pliable enough to roll up for transport. At the new wigiwam site she would set up the ribs of the wigiwam and use a torch or water to make the bark pliable enough to unroll. This was done very carefully as birchbark is very brittle unless supported.

When I would put my birchbark canoe in water, I would let it soak up the water (innerbark always goes to the outside on birch bark canoes) for 20 minutes before I set foot in it. Then it was fine. Otherwise, I would have to spend half a day calking pin holes.



PG

 

[torjusg]

I have read about cooking the bark several places, but have never tried it. I will just have to give this a try, find what works best for me.

Thank you for your help, Pierre.

Torjus Gaaren

 

[torjusg]

I found on a Swedish site that the evenks used to boil their bark for 7-10 days. The people who wrote this had tested it and found that it worked, but only on fresh bark. Dried bark curled up when cooked.

Still doesn't understand the purpose and making of the seams (if it indeed are seams) on the sheets.

Do they strenghten the sheets and keep the bark from splittin perhaps?

You can find a picture that show the seams I mean here:
http://www.museum.state.il.us/exhibits/changing/journey/hunters-domest.html

Torjus Gaaren

 

[pierre girard]

I found on a Swedish site that the evenks used to boil their bark for 7-10 days. The people who wrote this had tested it and found that it worked, but only on fresh bark. Dried bark curled up when cooked.

Still doesn't understand the purpose and making of the seams (if it indeed are seams) on the sheets.

Do they strenghten the sheets and keep the bark from splittin perhaps?

You can find a picture that show the seams I mean here:
http://www.museum.state.il.us/exhibits/changing/journey/hunters-domest.html

Torjus Gaaren

If boiling it is the proper method in your area - that is what you should do.

The way we do it, is to harvest a lot of three or four foot pieces of bark, lay them on a pallet and place another pallet over the bark, and place rocks on it, so it dries flat. When it has dried flat, we cut off an inch and a half on each "curling" edge, and sew the pieces together with spruce root and witheys. To roll them up for transport we soak them or use heat from a torch. When we reach the site for construction of the lodge, we use a torch to heat the rolls so they will lay out on the structure. It just isn't that hard to do. Boiling the bark would just seem to be a lot of extra work.

I don't have any rolls around right now (they are all on wigiwams and nasawaogans) or I would take a photo. That will have to wait for harvest time at the end of June.

PG

 

[torjusg]

If boiling it is the proper method in your area - that is what you should do.

The way we do it, is to harvest a lot of three or four foot pieces of bark, lay them on a pallet and place another pallet over the bark, and place rocks on it, so it dries flat. When it has dried flat, we cut off an inch and a half on each "curling" edge, and sew the pieces together with spruce root and witheys. To roll them up for transport we soak them or use heat from a torch. When we reach the site for construction of the lodge, we use a torch to heat the rolls so they will lay out on the structure. It just isn't that hard to do. Boiling the bark would just seem to be a lot of extra work.

I don't have any rolls around right now (they are all on wigiwams and nasawaogans) or I would take a photo. That will have to wait for harvest time at the end of June.

PG

Please do. The advantage of boiling is supposed to be that you can roll them up without any treatment with heat and water. I guess I'll have to try it in the spring.

Torjus Gaaren

 

[pierre girard]

Please do. The advantage of boiling is supposed to be that you can roll them up without any treatment with heat and water. I guess I'll have to try it in the spring.

Torjus Gaaren

No way of telling - given the geographical difference, but here harvesting birchbark is done in June/July. At that time of the year - the bark will most often pop right off the tree - soon as you make the cut. Bark can be harvested any time of the year (even in winter - using boiling water) but is the easiest (by far) end of June, beginning of July.

Winter bark is preferred for etching - as the inner bark is much darker that time of year. Birchbark canoes will sometimes have pieces of winter bark on the bow and stern so a logo can be etched.

PG