This incredibly light vessel, well-manoeuvrable and carrying many goods, originally made of birch wood, was one of the most valuable gifts to the Whites. Birch canoes, mainly adapted to a cedar frame, were most widespread in Canada and the Great Lakes region of the United States. French fur traders who arrived in these areas quickly took over this vehicle.

The primary watercraft of the Plains people were the so-called bull boat – a round bison skin boat with a willow truss. Such a round boat was the most straightforward and convenient floating means for transporting worldly goods and people across large rivers, but it was probably not the most practical to make long river journeys with such a boat.

The mystery of the canoe lies in the fact that the cautious one allows himself to be easily steered where the traveller wants but takes over from the bravest. Thus this superb vehicle takes its intrepid companion beyond every unknown bend, farther and farther to the ends of rivers and the beginnings of streams, as far as the water can allow a single traveller. Thanks to the excellent gliding and manoeuvrability, the explorers of the waterways have enough time to enjoy the beautiful views along the way.