Toboggan
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A toboggan is a skidless sledge used by the North American Indians of the subarctic , especially the Cree and Innu in Canada . The word toboggan comes from the Mi'kmaq language . The toboggan is made of birch wood , is a means of transport and is pulled by dogs or people.
The Innu make the toboggan from one or more thin birch boards, which are connected with leather straps. The toboggan is available in different widths, the narrowest is about 30 cm wide, 1.80 m long and curved up at the front. The top is often covered with leather. In the past, the toboggan was mainly used to transport traps, hunting equipment and hunted game. The white settlers took over this practical vehicle. Canadians use it today as a winter sports device.
Since 1906 there has been a ride called a toboggan at the Munich Oktoberfest . After being transported up a steep and fast moving walkway, visitors slide down a slide with toboggan-like carpets.
Web links
literature
- June Helm (Ed.): Handbook of North American Indians , Vol. 6 Subarctic, Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington DC 1981, ISBN 0-87474-186-6