PADDLES

Southeast Alaska Native paddles, primarily of the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian peoples, are single-bladed, handcrafted implements that are highly significant for both functional ocean travel and ceremonial purposes, often intricately adorned with formline designs representing a bearer's clan or moiety. 

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Design and Physical Characteristics

• Materials: Paddles are traditionally carved from strong, lightweight woods found locally, such as yellow cedar (for durability) and red cedar or spruce (for lighter dance paddles).

• Shape: They are generally single-bladed, unlike the double-bladed paddles of some neighboring peoples. The blade typically tapers slowly from thick to thin toward the end, with a distinctive V-shaped or triangular notch often found near the handle, a feature unique to the Tlingit.

• Custom Fit: Traditional paddles are custom-made for the "puller" (the term for a paddler in a large canoe) to fit their specific arm length and height, ensuring efficient and silent movement through the water, which was important for hunting and warfare.

• Artwork: The paddles serve as a "canvas" for the distinctive Northwest Coast formline art, which uses characteristic ovoids and U-shapes in black, red, and sometimes blue pigments. The designs often depict crests or mythological animals, symbolizing the owner's identity, lineage, and connection to their ancestors. 

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Function and Cultural Significance

• Transportation & Hunting: Paddles were essential for navigating the extensive coastal waters in traditional dugout canoes, used for travel, trade, food gathering (fishing and hunting marine mammals), and warfare. The pointed tip of some hunting paddles allowed quiet entry into the water or could serve as a weapon.

• Ceremonial Use: Elaborately carved and painted paddles are used during ceremonies and potlatches. They are raised and tapped on the floor to keep rhythm with drumming, serving as a powerful cultural statement and a way to keep traditions alive.

• Symbolism: Beyond their practical function, paddles symbolize a journey, the sea, and life's passage, bridging past and present generations.

• Modern Relevance: Today, Native artists continue the tradition of paddle carving, creating both functional pieces for canoe journeys and fine works of art that reflect cultural identity and ancestral heritage.