A single boatman with a pirogue can navigate the shallow, stump-filled waters of southern Louisiana, especially if Keith Felder has built it. A lifelong resident, Felder grew up fishing and exploring the bayous, swamps, and rivers. Later, he apprenticed

with master boat builders, going on to build his own dugout pirogues, plank pirogues, Jon boats and skiffs from sinker cypress logs retrieved from south Louisiana waters.

“I was born and raised in Denham Springs, Louisiana about a mile from the Amite River. I have hunted and fished in south Louisiana all my life and have always been interested in the maritime history of our state.”