Native American Woods

[Paul Engle]

Anyone have any idea what a Native American wood would be ? other than Lodge Pole Pine etc, I am looking for hardwood for a bowl / vase or etc for a co-worker from the Zuni tribe , this is to be a special cerimonial gift for her and will be OTing traditional Zuni Tribe embelishments on it for her ...and if I can purchase a blank of say USPS mailer size or larger if available. I am not looking for pine or fir which maybe more traditional than most as I have a ton of Bull Pine burls and may try to incorporate them into the turning/s. or maybe could work out a trade for some or any of the burls ????
Thanks for any help !!!:D

[Jamie Buxton]

Native American woods are ones which were not imported here by humans. Cherry, oaks, maples, walnuts all have domestic versions.

If you're looking for domestic woods which grow where the Zuni live, that's New Mexico. You could use mesquite, which is a desert hardwood that can make gorgeous turnings.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I agree with the mesquite.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Pinion.....mesquite....some forms of juniper....

[Don McIvor]

Not a whole lot of diversity in the trees in that part of the world. You could add aspen and cottonwood (good luck) to the list of possibilities.

Don

[Scott Hubl]

You might have a look at this, I did not read it all, but it might be of interest to you.
http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/specialcollections/forestry/hough/

[Steve Knowlton]

Paul, If Myrtlewood is ok i would send you a piece. I have a bunch. No cost to you. Steve

[Jack Mincey]

Have you considered a small bowl or box turned from a piece of elk antler? If you get a large shed elk antler, a nice box or small bowl could be turned from it, I think. Since they shed their antlers every year it doesn't have to hurt the elk, which might offend some people. Just a thought. I've used deer antler for pens and it turns very nice.
Jack

[Al Wasser]

Mesquite would not be a native in Zuni country -- too far North. Pinon pine, Blue Spruce, Ponderosa Pine, Doug Fir, White Fir, Blue Spruce, Aspen, Southwestern White Pine are more likely to be native there. I worked south and east of the Zuni Res for many years but spent little time actually on the Zuni Res. The above trees, along with Gambel Oak, are all native to the Zuni Mtns., which are a little east of the actual reservation. Some of the canyons might have hackberry, Arizona Alder, and Nogal, which is a type of walnut. I don't know if this helps you any

[Paul Engle]

Thanks guys, I think I will get some Pinon pine from Colorado Springs area as #4 daughter lives down there Al, hard to find this far north I think unless Ken knows of a source around here ?. Nice link Scott I got bogged down on the many woods in America and Thanks for the myrtle offer Steve , I wish she had been Shoshone pyute or Bannock I could gone for the myrtle or scrub mahogany. Jack I have a pretty large Elk shed and use it for my disabled /veteran's cane project , shore does stink when sanded ....as it is I have another one a NC transplant that I was commisioned to do just before leaving for the weekend today, she is Cherokee from Cherokee NC. that one is easy but not so much fun to turn > OAK < which is pretty central to their culture . I checked out some Native American art to get some ideas and you know it is pretty impressive craft work, especally the stone pots and bowls and textiles. Thanks again all.
Oh and Don .... I tried cotton wood once uh huh once.... Jamie thats what I was thinking , I have seen Hopi / Pueblo fetishes hand carved from that and desert iron wood ... that musta took a long time to carve by hand and I don't think I'm up to that unless it is mesquite , but I will check with her as I want it as authentic as I can get ( least the wood part , not some Irish /German/ Scotch wood turner from the south of Prussia ) :D.

[Curt Fuller]

Don't overlook Juniper. The scent and color is beautiful.

[Al Wasser]

You are correct -- cottonwood (both plains and narrowleaf) would be native to to Zuni country as would 3 junipers - Rocky Mtn, one seed and alligator. FYI, the Hopi kachinas are carved from cottonwood, but they use the root. Mtn Mahogany is native down there but you are hardpressed to find anything big enough for a bolo tie. Turning pinon might be hard. I have split a lot of it and it is usually quite pitchy. I have not tried to turn it.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Paul...I've never seen pinion pine this far north. The last time I found some pinion was in a canyon outside of Blanding Utah which isn't too far from 4 corners.

All in my original reply I said cedar but juniper is what I meant. I'll go edit my original reply. Thanks for refreshing this old memory of mine.

[Paul Douglass]

Red wood? Sequoia? can yo make a pen from joshua tree? (sp)

[Troy Donson]

I have no idea if Palo Verde is "native" to the area but it really does look very good when turned into a bowl...

Troy

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Paul....the wonders of the internet. I researched the Zuni tribe. I had some personal interest as I spent a couple of years living near 4 Corners and in the late 50s as a young child, I used to crawl through the many cave dwellings there. The Zuni tribe reservation is in New Mexico. I found this website http://www.treenm.com/education/species.shtml. It list trees found in NM and if you check each one, it often tells if it is native to the area. Hopefully this will give you some alternatives.

[Al Wasser]

That list is pretty incomplete. Redstem Dogwood is not a tree even if you get in a debate about when is a bush a tree.

[Paul Engle]

Thanks Ken, I like the Pinyon as it represents a lot of uses for man and animal , Troy, I did not find the Palo Verde but I like the bowl you did. I never gave the Juniper a thought with cedar being a type of Juniper I will have to consider it , I have logged Juniper in Owyhee county for posts and fuel and Mtn Mahogany for fuel when i lived in Mtn Home, even sold em (Juniper) for Christmas trees one year.( not so much in demand it seems) .