Canoes are among the oldest artifacts found on the North American continent. The story of this important vehicle is told from dugouts, birch barks, wood, wood-and-canvas, and synthetic boats from ancient times to the present day. After thousands of years, the basic design has endured, a testament to the skills of the engineers who created it in the first place. It exists as one of only two major feats of design that was not changed upon white settlement starting in the 15th century.