Canoes were Made & Used by Native Americans INDIANS USED WOOD CANOES FOR TRANSPORTATION. THEIR ROADS WERE WATERWAYS. MOST TRADE IN AMERICA TOOK PLACE ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER, THE "GREAT RIVER," AND ALL OF ITS FEEDERS: THE OHIO, MISSOURI, TENNESSEE, CUMBERLAND, RED, WHITE AND ARKANSAS RIVERS PLUS ALL OF THEIR CREEKS AND STREAMS.   Making Canoes   Fishing   Trading       CANOES WERE MADE WITH FIRE! CANOES WERE MADE FROM TREES USING FIRE TO SHAPE THEM. IF YOU LOOK CAREFULLY AT THE DRAWING YOU WILL SEE THAT TREES WERE FIRST BURNED DOWN, AT THE UPPER RIGHT SIDE OF THE DRAWING, THEN SHAPED BY NATIVE AMERICANS USING MORE FIRE IN JUST THE RIGHT PLACES.