Robert Morris On Kayaks At Museum Wed Aug 1

​Robert Morris from the Brewery Creek Small Boat Shop in Vancouver, British Columbia, and author of the illustrated instructional book "Building Skin-on-Frame Boats", will present “Caribou Kayak: Building Boats to Survive” at the Wisconsin Canoe Heritage Museum in Spooner, Wisconsin, on Wednesday August 1st. It will be an evening of high arctic video, photographs, and storytelling. The presentation begins at 7:30 pm and is free and open to the public.

The Netsilingmeot kayak is primarily a caribou hunting boat. Survival in the high arctic was measured not just with food, but in the number of caribou hides a man could supply his family for clothing. Hip-wide and nearly twenty feet long, every aspect of the Netsilingmeot kayak’s design was optimized for lancing and killing caribou as they crossed rivers. In the age of aircraft, skidoos and ATVs, caribou no longer need to be chased down and lanced from a kayak. Why then were Morris and shop mate Mark Reuten invited to work with elders in the community of Kugaaruk to reestablish local kayak building traditions?

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​Join Robert Morris as he explores what went right, what went wrong, and how his experience in the Kugaaruk community informed his understanding of boat building, teaching, and his place in the world. The presentation begins at 7:30 pm at the Wisconsin Canoe Heritage Museum in Spooner (312 N Front St) and is free and open to the public. For more information call 715-635-2479 or email to [email protected]. For nearby motel lodging we recommend the Riverplace Best Western Motel at 715-635-9770. For camping, travel, or other lodging information contact the Spooner Area Chamber of Commerce at 800-367-3306.