Tomol

to Limuw (Santa Cruz Island) in a . A tomol or tomolo (Chumash) or te'aat or ti'at (Tongva/Kizh) are plank-built boats, historically and currently in the Santa Barbara, California and Los Angeles area. They replaced or supplemented tule reed boats. The boats were between in length and in width. The Chumash refer to the tomol as the "House of the Sea" for their reliability. Double-bladed kayak-like paddles are used to propel the boat through the ocean. Some sources suggest the boats may have origins at Catalina Island and have been in use for thousands of years. Others suggest an origin on the Northern Channel Islands during the first millennium CE. The tomol has been described as "the single most technologically complex watercraft built in North America" and as being unique to "the New World." The boats are still constructed by Chumash, Tongva/Kizh, and Acjachemen people today.

to Limuw (Santa Cruz Island) in a .]] A tomol or tomolo (Chumash) or te'aat or ti'at (Tongva/Kizh) are plank-built boats, historically and currently in the Santa Barbara, California and Los Angeles area. They replaced or supplemented tule reed boats. The boats were between in length and in width. The Chumash refer to the tomol as the "House of the Sea" for their reliability. Double-bladed kayak-like paddles are used to propel the boat through the ocean. Some sources suggest the boats may have origins at Catalina Island and have been in use for thousands of years. Others suggest an origin on the Northern Channel Islands during the first millennium CE. The tomol has been described as "the single most technologically complex watercraft built in North America" and as being unique to "the New World." The boats are still constructed by Chumash, Tongva/Kizh, and Acjachemen people today. ==Construction== Tomols were preferably built out of redwood that had drifted down the coast. When supplies of redwood were lacking, local native pine was used. When splitting the wood with whalebone or antler wedges the crafters would seek straight planks without knotholes, then sand them with sharkskin. To bind the wood together, small holes were drilled in the planks so they could be lashed to one another. Finally, the seams were caulked with 'yop', a mixture of hard tar and pine pitch melted and then boiled. A crossplank at midship reinforced the boat and functioned as a seat. Another coat of 'yop' was used to waterproof the boat, followed by a coat of red ochre paint, followed by a final coat of sealant. Shell mosaics were often added as decorations. This style of boat is unique in the Americas, though researcher Yorem Meroz notes that a simpler plank boat is found in Chile and strakes were sewn onto dugout boat bases in the Pacific Northwest and Caribbean. The boats could take up to 500 days to be constructed by an experienced boatmaker. Tomols are propelled with kayak-like paddles with the user in a crouching position, unlike kayaks where sitting is the norm. They are highly maneuverable. File:Chumash Tomol 'Elye'wun paddlers, CINMS.jpg|Paddlers making the crossing to Santa Cruz Island aboard the reconstructed tomol ‘Elye’wun, in 2006. File:Tomol Crossing Channel Islands (43101684130).jpg|Tomol crossing Channel Islands in 2012 ==References== S2 E1: Rethinking the Coast with the Ti'at Society, from Tending Nature on KCET Baby Ti’at: The Making of a Traditional Canoe, ibid.

Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1229312267 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.