Make Native American hunting weapons at home.
Native Americans used many materials to make hunting tools. Since they didn't have smelting or metalworking technology, they made do with rocks, wood, sinew and bone. Their creativity and cleverness turned these simple items into very effective weapons. You can recreate some of these weapons at home with a few simple tools and a little patience. They make eclectic display items and interesting companion projects to lessons about Native American culture.
Instructions
Arrows
1. Cut a small notch in either end of your dowel by drawing your small saw firmly but slowly over the ends. The notch for the arrowhead should be about 5/8 inch deep, while the notch for the bowstring only needs to be ¼ inch deep.
2. Lay the slate rock on the ground away from breakable items, pets or children. Hold the granite rock above your head and throw it down onto the slate. The slate should break into many small pieces. Choose one with a roughly triangular shape about an inch long.
3. Chip notches into the sides of your arrowhead with a small piece of granite. Tap the granite sharply against the edge of the arrowhead, near the base, until a notch about 1/8 inch large forms. Repeat on the other side.
4. Set your arrowhead into the 5/8 inch notch on the dowel. Wrap twine around the notch and arrowhead so it sits in the notches in the sides of the arrowhead. Tie off the twine securely.
5. Cut the tip of a feather so it forms a "V" and trim the feather to about 4 inches long.
6. Cut the feather in half along the center vane and place one half of the feather on either side of the end of your arrow. Lash the pieces to the arrow with twine.
War Clubs
7. Score the bark on a 5-inch thick branch with the corner of an axe and peel it away. Scrape away stubborn bits with your axe blade.
8. Draw a chalk line around the branch about 4 inches from one end. Push the blade of a hand-held power saw about an inch into your chalk line and score around the branch.
9. Stand the branch vertically so the scored line is closer to the ground than to you. Push your saw blade down through the outside edges of the branch, cutting away inch-thick sections of wood down to the scored line.
10. Cut more wood sections in this manner until the bottom of your branch is about 3 inches thick. Your club should now have a long, thin handle and a thick, cylindrical head.
11. Sand your club until it is smooth and free of splinters.
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