- Baidarka
Baidarka is the name sometimes used for
Aleut ian stylesea kayak . The word has its origins from early Russian settlers inAlaska .A prominent feature of a baidarka is its forked bow (bifurcated bow). Very lightweight and maneuverable, it was made out of seal skin sewed only by Aleut women, over a frame made strictly of
driftwood (since no trees grow in theAleutian Islands ), bone and sinew. It was treated as a living being by Aleut men (it was taboo for women to handle them).In modern times, George Dyson is often credited with the revival of the baidarka, through his company Dyson, Baidarka & Company. Dyson and his boats were the subject of
Kenneth Brower 's book "The Starship and the Canoe" [The Starship and the Canoe, Kenneth Brower, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York NY, 1978, ISBN 0-03-039196-2] , and Dyson himself wrote the book "Baidarka" in 1986 [Baidarka, George B. Dyson, Alaska Northwest Publishing Co., Edmonds WA, 1986, ISBN 0-88240-315-X] . Dyson's Baidarkas are made from modern materials such as aluminium for the frame and coated polyester fabric for the skin.Baidarka is the name sometimes used for sea kayaks from the Aleutian Islands and Alaska Peninsula. The word is Russian, and the more ancient word is "iqyak".
The people who have lived in this region of the world for thousands of years called themselves "Unungan" meaning "people who lived by the side of the sea". The Unungan men built the kayaks by carving the wooden frames from driftwood using stone tools made from volcanic rocks as well as tools made from bone, ivory, and wood.
The men designed the kayak frames to be light, fast, and flexible, tying together the wooden parts with intricate and spiritual knots braided from tough animal sinew. Unungan women prepared sea lion skins which they sewed onto the frames with bone needles, using a waterproof stitch. While out at sea, men carried with them emergency repair kits. For the Unungan, the sea kayaks lived as spiritual beings and were essential for their survival.
From early ages, Unungan boys were trained in the use of skin kayaks.
External links
* [http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/1998/05.28/BuildingaBaidar.html Building a Baidarka at Weld Boathouse]
* [http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/Building/Baidarka/Manual.html Building a baidarka]References
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