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César and his birch bark canoe

Black and white photo, César Newashish sitting next to a white birch bark canoe. Floral and ancestral motifs adorn the boat’s hull.

Photo collection of the Conseil de la Nation Atikamekw, Funds Serge Jauvin, 1977-1978

César Newashish was a well-known artisan and respected member of the Atikamekw community in Manawan.

Several of his canoes are exhibited in various museums throughout Canada. One such canoe measures close to 36 feet long, 4 feet high and 7 feet wide; exhibited at the Musée de la civilisation de Québec, this impressive canoe was built by César Newashish, Georges Newashish, Jean-Louis Newashish and François Newashish in 1985, and was restored in 1998.

Colour photo of a 36-foot birch bark canoe engraved with decorative motifs. The boat is exhibited on a stand at the Musée de la civilisation de Québec.

Colour photo, a 36-foot canoe made from birch bark and embellished with engravings. The canoe rests on a base and is displayed in the Musée de la civilisation de Québec.

Photo collection of the Conseil de la Nation Atikamekw

A silent documentary of nearly an hour was produced by the National Film Board (this link is external): wikwas timanikan César – César’s bark canoe

Did you know that according to an Atikamekw legend, the birch tree donated its dress, its bark, to allow humans to make everything they need and to help them understand the link between them and their environment? Source: Répertoire du patrimoine culturel du Québec