These relatives include a model birchbark canoe, a number of paddles, a cradleboard, a sled and two adult figures, one man and one woman, adorned with clothing and other accessories. The maker painted the outside of the canoe with circular and striped designs in red, white, and black. The paddles are painted red, some also decorated with white and black designs. The male figure is standing inside the canoe, in one hand he holds a long staff, and a beaded strip resembling wampum sits over his shoulders. The woman stands beside the canoe wearing a red and gold hat with beaded decoration. Their maker carved their heads out of wood and further expressed their faces through painted features. Together, these relatives depict a dynamic piece of Anishinaabe culture, and a lifestyle known to their maker.

While the precise origins of this relative are not certain, it was collected between 1777 and 1779 by officer Johann Conrad Ruff who accompanied recruits to the St. Lawrence River area for their deployment in the American Revolutionary War.

These relatives currently reside at the Städtisches Museum in Braunschweig, Germany. 

Resemblance to other examples of model canoes made by Anishinaabe artists and makers.

Städtisches Museum Braunschweig records. GRASAC researcher visit to Städtisches Museum Braunschweig, October 2024.

Place of origin is unclear. The point on the map is an approximation based on the collection of the item by a German soldier, Johann Conrad Ruff, who was stationed in the St. Lawrence River area during the American Revolutionary War.