Gibban

One of my must visit places when I eventually get to Maine is the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor. Over the years, it has had very informative displays and events showcasing the Wabanaki canoe culture. One of their 2015 exhibits (set to close on December 19th) is Coming Home. The museum was able to borrow various Wabanaki items from various ethnological collections residing outside of Maine. One of the beautiful paddles on loan for their display is a very interesting paddle from the American Museum of Natural History:  Catalog No: 50.1/ 7780 Culture: MALISEET, PASSAMAQUODDY Material: WOOD, PIGMENT, WIRE (MODERN) Dimensions: L:127.5 W:13 [in CM] Accession No: 1914-4 Full Source Link  I've always been curious about this paddle. The surface has weathered into what looks to be a greyish layer and the grip has very unique carvings right through the wood. Another different element is the paddle's length - a very short 127.5cm (roughly 50 inches). I always thought my paddles (58") were...

The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax features an old Mi'kmaq birchbark canoe on display behind a glass case. Included is a paddle which has warped over time. A previous post from 2013 features some photos taken by Lloyd of Canoe Canada East. Found a blog of another museum visitor who captured another angle on the paddle. It shows the extreme tapering of the grip area from the side... Photo Credit: Marelene Hutchins  http://marlenehutchins.blogspot.ca/2014/06/halifaxs-maritime-museum-of-atlantic.html