David Moses Bridges, 54

Pleasant Point, Maine

David passed away Jan. 20. As a young man, he traveled widely, eventually settling in San Francisco, where he lived for many years. After returning to Maine, he attended The Boat School in Eastport, and later went to work at Benjamin River Marine and Brooklin Boat Yard, finding the work that would become his life.

While taking a class on Traditional Birch Bark Canoe Making at the Wooden Boat School in Brooklin, he became friends with Steve Cayard, the instructor. He would go on to apprentice and teach the class with Steve. In the years that followed, David developed his craft with passion, exploring all aspects of the history and technology. As his skill grew, he shared the craft in the native communities, museums, schools, institutions and to all of us who were fortunate to know him.

David was a proud Wabanaki, a Passamaquoddy native. His people, who lived in this land for 12,000 years, developed the canoe hull form that we all know over the last several thousand years. By the time David came to the craft, it was a highly developed and elegant art form that combines the talents of humanity with the gifts of the forest, to the enrichment and grace of both. David was a fierce environmentalist.