This dugout canoe was found on the banks of the Red River! It dates to the 14th Century! At 34 feet in length, it is the largest Native American canoe ever discovered in Louisiana! Did you know?

Modern version of dugout canoe

• The dugout canoe was made from the hollowed-out logs of large trees
• Larto Lake is connected to the Red River through Big Larto Bayou, which is where the dam is located
• One can just imagine Native Americans paddling on Larto Lake and the surrounding streams in such a dugout canoe
• These water bodies served as liquid highways for travel
• There certainly were plenty of cypress trees around to use as building material
• The cypress wood was impervious to insects and rot, as evidenced by this canoe which is estimated over 700 years old

Homeschoolers/Educators/Parents: sketch/color an illustration. Theme: water adventures. Read the exciting story called The Fishermen and His Wife in Learning to Read: Fairy Tales Adventures. Describe the fishermen’s adventure with the gigantic fish. Write about your favorite summer water activity. List three dugout canoe facts. (Skills: identification, creativity, recall, comprehension)