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Course

Wild Ricing Push Pole: Craft Your Own

Course Overview

When harvesting in wild rice beds, the paddle is not the tool of choice to navigate a canoe in the shallow waters, as it is not effective and is even destructive to the fragile lake bottom and rice roots. Rather, a push pole, at least 10-12 feet in length is preferable. In this intensive one day course, students will craft a traditional wild ricing push pole. Students will use a drawknife to peel bark from a long, straight, small diameter spruce, balsam or cedar tree and skillfully fit on a hardwood fork end by scarfing, mortising, pegging and lashing with split spruce roots. The ancient design of the push pole is critical for the successful harvest of wild rice.

Currently Scheduled Sessions