TRADITIONAL DUGOUT CANOES Transforming a red cedar log into a 30ft canoe

Stormy Hamar is an accomplished Haida artist, who has a passion for dugout canoes.

Stormy was recognized as a 2018 Individual Artist award recipient from the Rasmuson Foundation. He shared that his history with canoes goes back to his childhood days, when he paddled to school in a dugout canoe.

In 2015, Sealaska Heritage Institute surveyed artists about priorities related to arts in the southeast. Dugout canoe construction was near the top of priorities among the artists.

The work and passion by Stormy will support this effort. Stormy’s knowledge of carving was been handed down through his apprenticeship with Tsimshian master carver Stan Marsden.

Through this traditional training, Stormy gained an understanding of the importance and value of handing down traditional knowledge.

Through artists like Stormy Hamar, the knowledge and skills to carve a dugout canoe will be passed on to future generations.