Found two historic photos dated to 1903 which feature some decorated paddles. Take note of the decorative checkerboard pattern on the large paddle on the right side...
Actor in Hiawatha [1903]
Johnston, Frances Benjamin, 1864-1952, photographer
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division
Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Library of Congress Control Number: 2020637513
Another shot showcases the grip styles of the large steering paddles being used to lash open the door of the cloth teepee.
Actors in Hiawatha [1903]
Johnston, Frances Benjamin, 1864-1952, photographer
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division
Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Library of Congress Control Number: 2020637514
These photos were taken from the annual "Hiawatha Pageant", a major tourist attraction in the Upper Great Lakes at the turn of the 20th century. Odawa and Ojibwa actors from Garden River First Nation (Gitigaan-ziibi Anishinaabe) as well as Waganakising Ottawa communities in Northern Michigan were recruited to take part in Louis Oliver Armstrong's theatrical production "Hiawatha, or, Nanabozho: An Ojibway Indian Play" inspired by Longfellow's epic poem "Song of Hiawatha." Though the costumes are more reflective of Plains Indian culture stereotype for white audiences, the group included some tribal paddles more reflective of Great Lakes canoe culture.
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