Making a Native American Style Flute (Maybe)

Last night I attended another meeting of the Waxhaw Woodturners club. The woodturning demostration was about making a Native American Flutes which greatly interested me. I had previously research Indian flutes and how to make them on the internet in preparation for seeing this demo. Now that I have a good idea on how to make one it is time to try. I will have to get a couple more tools before I do. By the way the demostration was well done and informative.



Back in 1995 while on vacation in Colorada I bought a CD with music made using a Native American Flute and I fell in love with the sound. It was also then that the idea first enter my mind about making crafts and arts to sell once I retired. It seem like only yesteday that I had this dream but now I am now living it at least to a small degree.



Making the flutes seems to be fairly easy to do but I sure as heck don't know a thing about music and I may have to find someone that knows music and how to play a flute. I need a little guidance on how to make it sound right and maybe how to play it.

I can make a flute just like what the native americans did but there is one major difference. The indians did not have modern tools and they had to make their flutes with crude tools which I don't intend to try and do. However they will work the same way to make the unusual sound. If I get pretty good at this maybe I can sell some also but of course they will not be indian made. I don't think I have any indian blood in me.

I could dress up like a indian and pretend that they are indian made but that would be illegal. There is a law preventing anyone from misrepresenting crafts as being made by real indians. So I have to tell the truth and say I am just a simple old Southern who is into Indian history and crafts.



This is a picture I found on the internet of a Native American flute similar to what I intend on trying to make. I hope I can make it sound good as well as look good.