Tolkien was an admitted fan of James F. Cooper.  If you read any of Cooper's books, the similarities are striking.  Elves in the third age are clearly styled after the depiction of the noble race of american indians conscious of their own disapearance...leaving behind a vast and deep history known only to themselves.  There are various tribes of indians in coopers books and Tolkien picks this up in his mythologies with the various elven factions.  Aragorn is almost lifted off the face of Last of the Mohicans.  He is almost interchangable with the character Hawkeye. 

I would advise Tolkien fans to read the Cooper books to see where Tolkien is coming from with his depiction of elves and how his sympathies were created.

I understand that he was creating a mythology for the brits but I believe there was a part of him that wanted to redress one of the most horrible acts in the history of mankind..the genocide of the american indians..and make it somewhat palatable for his conscience.  Kind of like when your parents tell you Spot has gone to live on a farm when they take your old sick dog to be euthenized.

I dont remember if Tolkien actually describes the Lothlorien boats as canoes but I think Jackson was on the right track in portraying them this way.