Stitch by stitch, mooseskin boat on historic journey through the Dehcho

After more than three weeks, seven moosehides and a lot of hard work, a historic journey planned for the Dehchoregion has made it over a major hurdle.

It's called the Nahanni River of Forgiveness project and, according to Dehcho elders, it marksthe first time in more than100 years thata mooseskin boat has been paddled down the river.

• Nahanni River of Forgiveness: Historic journey brings century-old tradition back to life

The 40-foot boat was crafted from young spruce, willow sticks, moosehide and sinew, all by hand, by Indigenous elders, leaders and youth at a camp in Nahanni National Park called Bunny Bar.

Dehcho Grand Chief Herb Norwegian isone of the organizers of the project, and said finishing the canoe was "quite an undertaking."

"Everyone was pulling on the boughs in the front and pulling the hides ... and everyone was pushing the centre of this centre board that lays at the bottom and loand behold the whole thing snapped right into place," he said.

Just stitching together the moosehidestook about four days, Norwegian said, as each stitch touchedthe next.It took about an hour to complete eight stitches.

"Just stitch by stitch and it slowly came together," he said. "It was an incredible, incredible moment. Every step of the way."

Once it was completed, the boat was slung over the Virginia Falls via helicopter.

"Low and behold [this] massive piece of creation just emerges out of the willows and up into the sky and up against the clouds up against the sun and you just see all these little orbs flying around it and it was just a spectacular shot," said Norwegian.

He said traditionally a boat of this size would have been moved over the falls using a ramp-like construction for boats called a slipway.

• FROM THE ARCHIVES:The white waters of Nahanni National Park

"It was an emotional moment for all of us because this is the first time in history that a mooseskin boat of this magnitude would've been slung over the falls," said Norwegian."It was an immaculate sight, an immaculate moment."

But the journey hasn't been without its bumps.

There were delays because of heavy rain, but Norwegian said they powered through.

"The crew are tougher than nails and they don't care about rain, sleet or snow and they're just right in there carving up the boards and stitching the moosehides," he said.

Now the boat and its crew will be hitting smoother waters and heading towardNahanni Butte. Norwegian estimated the trip will take about four days.

Then they'll continue down the Liard River and reach their final destination near Fort Simpson.

"We're trying to get things moving but everything is based on safety," saidNorwegian. "We just want to make sure that [we]nurture the boat and make sure that it's safe for the people that are paddling in there and, well, we hope that it'll bring us all home."

The Nahanni River of Forgiveness trip is also being made into a feature documentary that will eventually air on CBC Docs.