invented the canoe about 2,000 years ago. The plank canoe was anywhere from eight feet to thirty feet and was made from driftwood or redwood. The sides of the plank canoe were about three to four planks high, and was glued in place with “yop”, a melted mixture of pine pitch and hardened asphalt. After the glue was dried they drilled holes into the seams of each side and then tying the boards together with plant fiber string made from Indian hemp, then the holes were filled up again with “yop”. When the canoe was all put together they would sand it down using sandstone and then finished with sharkskin; then the canoe was painted and decorated. The plank canoes could hold a crew of three and probably were big enough for ten people. Seawater would sometimes seep into the plank canoes, so one of the crewmembers would serve as the bailer. A young boy would usually serve as the bailer as the men paddled the plank canoes. It’s not really known how long these canoes would last, it probably depended on how much wear and tear they experienced on the sea. The Chumash kept good care of the canoes, they would store them in moist shaded areas until they were ready to be used. They would check the canoes regularly and make repairs if necessary. They took good care of them as much as possible. The last Chumash canoes were made in about 1850. In 1913 an elderly Chumash man built a canoe for an anthropologist named John P. Harrington to show how they were built. In the past twenty years several of these canoes were built using John’s notes to guide them. The Chumash Indians were also excellent basket weavers. The women had this role in the tribe. The baskets were made from whole juncos rush stems or split tule (bulrush). The Chumash used both twined and coiled weaving techniques. Out of this they made coiled baskets, trays, bowls of all sizes, hats, leaching basins, sieves, fish traps, cradles and water bottles. The foundation was a spiraling of three slender rods of juncos rush, wrapped and sewn together with split strands of the same material. The baskets were naturally straw tan in color with the designs in black. The juncos stalks were dyed black by burying them in dark mud, or by soaking them in water with acorns and a piece of iron. The natural reddish-orange base of the stalks was used separately to fill in designs, or even as th

Some topics in this essay:
Chumash Indians, Channel Islands, Santa Ynez, Chumash Community, Fernando Librado, John Harrington, chumash indians, Purple Olive, Rafael Solares, Barbareño Ventureño, Indians Spaniard, chumash indians didn’t, plank canoes, indians didn’t, plank canoe, channel islands, able hold, bead money, cleanse body, juncos rush, john harrington,