![](https://www.educationisourbuffalo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/sapages58-59_02.jpg)
North America has a vast network of lakes and rivers, and Native Americans had created the Indian canoe to make use of that resource. Canoes are shallow-draft boats that have a delicate design similar to Viking ships. The paddler faces the direction of travel, which is an advantage over a rowboat. Most canoes were small, light, and swift, designed to transport a small group of people quickly across our rivers and lakes.