Making a Chaputs

Few objects capture the Northwest Coast as vividly as the dugout canoe, and this book treats it as both a piece of craftsmanship and a feat of engineering. Joe Martin, a Tla-o-qui-aht master canoe maker, worked with Alan Hoover, a former curator at the museum, to set down the forestry and woodworking knowledge behind each canoe, along with the duties a canoe maker takes on.

The book follows the entire process, beginning with the choice of tree, and its detailed illustrations track each stage. Woven through these instructions are accounts of several of Martin's own canoes, covering how each was planned and built, what it means culturally, and the part it has played in reconciliation.

Much of the material comes directly from Martin, who records the teachings he received from his father and the expertise gathered over a lifetime of canoe making. The book will appeal to readers interested in Indigenous craft, traditional boatbuilding, and woodworking.