Canoe steaming carries on Tlingit and Haida tradition

To transform a hollowed-out log into a dugout canoe requires more than expert carving — it requires steam, and lots of it. Earlier this week the skies over Eagle Beach in Sitka were filled with smoke and steam, as a carving team worked to transform a cedar dugout into an elegant, seaworthy canoe.
Tommy Joseph feels the warm water after the batch of lava rocks are taken out. (Photo by Emily Russell – KCAW – Sitka)David Katzeek sings and drums alongside the nearly 30- foot long c