White
birch often referred to as paper birch or canoe birch (Betula
papyrifera) is one of the most valuable tree species in Maine.
For the Native Peoples of Maine, this tree was integral to their
lifeways. White birch can be found all over the state of Maine.
It grows in rich moist soils, along banks of streams and along the
shore of lakes and ponds. Trees can reach heights of up to 70 feet
tall and a diameter of one to two feet. The wood of this tree is
closely grained, and is fairly hard and strong.
The outer bark of a mature tree is white, while the inner bark is
a darker brown. The inner bark has a waxy consistency and is water-proof.
Birchbark was the “fabric” of Maine Indian life providing
a tough, flexible when damp, rot and insect resistant and odor-free
material that could be used to make a wide variety of items including:
dolls
doors
drums
dyes
embroidery
fans
figures, totems, etc.
firewood
flares
food for the dead
funnels
games
grinding sheets
hangings
hats
house coverings
illustrations
insulation
kettles
kindling
ladders
legends
letters
litters
magic
maps
maple sugar spiles
maple sugar sap kettles
maple sugar cones
mats
meat bags
medicine
messages
moose calls
music makers
muskrat calls
noisemakers
pack baskets
pails
paint
paint holders
paper
patterns
White
birch often referred to as paper birch or canoe birch (Betula
papyrifera) is one of the most valuable tree species in Maine.
For the Native Peoples of Maine, this tree was integral to their
lifeways. White birch can be found all over the state of Maine.
It grows in rich moist soils, along banks of streams and along the
shore of lakes and ponds. Trees can reach heights of up to 70 feet
tall and a diameter of one to two feet. The wood of this tree is
closely grained, and is fairly hard and strong.