Eight
thousand years ago humans began a journey eastward from what is
now Siberia. These northern immigrants
colonized the the coasts of Alaska and spread north and to the
east to what is now northern Canada, and Greenland.
The world they encountered, like the world they left, was frozen
and barren. Arctic peoples adapted to these conditions and
created cultures that thrived and flourished in natures’ most
inhospitable climate. In these sparse landscapes the search for
food often led to the water and into frigid oceans that teemed with sea
life. In a world without trees, driftwood was split and shaped
into a skeleton which was then covered with sealskin to create the
first kayaks. These craft were used as a platform to hunt seals,
otters,
caribou, and fish. To hunt these waters Arctic kayakers braved
sub-freezing temperatures, gale force winds, ice cold waters, shifting
ice floes, and some of the roughest open waterways on earth. In
this harsh world that would again and again claim the lives of European
explorers, these northern natives thrived and flourished. They
were masters of their environment and their survival depended on the
kayaks they built.
The Kayaks
In the
barren wood poor arctic all ocean craft were fashioned from
driftwood logs that were split with stone and bone wedges. This
and other found wood was expertly shaped and carefully pieced together
into a frame that was lashed with sinew and covered with
sealskin. From this common framework designs varied considerably
depending on the needs of the hunters and cultural influences. Each
design served its purpose perfectly. These purposes however do
not always yield a satisfying sea kayak for the modern recreational
kayaker. Two designs that can be more easily adapted to our
present desires are the Greenland kayak and the Aleutian kayak. Modern
designs can also be constructed using the skin on frame technology.