Home
Contact
Navajo Rugs
ArrowsPeace Arrows |
|
|
Thank you for visiting my website! As one of the Dine', a Navajo Indian, I am proud to share some of my culture and life with you. Native Americans used a variety of weapons but the most commonly known is the bow and arrow. What you may not know is that arrows are also symbolic of peace. If you saw the movie "Dances with Wolves" you may remember that they gave each other pipes as gifts of peace. In my culture special arrows were made as gifts to give to others. |
|
These
special arrows were given as a blessing
of prosperity and peace in the family. They signified peace between individuals or between two or more families and they were greatly cherished and respected. You have likely seen two arrows crossed as a wall decoration. For my people, if the two points were pointed down it meant that two families or clans had made peace with each other. If the points of the two crossed arrows were pointed up it meant that the two families or clans had made a pact of war against someone else. The gift of an arrow between individuals meant peace for as long as the arrow remained unbroken. | |
| Make peace between yourself and someone you have
had a disagreement with. You will find these arrows amazingly powerful in what they represent. Each arrow is between 30" and 32" long. It looks great as an accent piece, under a shelf or by itself on a wall or mantle. |
|
|
We certify each piece we create as
authentic and hand made by the Sapphira Scott family. We'll also send you a Peace Arrow card with each arrow explaining the meaning and purpose of these special gifts. We spend extra time making sure the hand flaked (chipped) points are sharp and fit well in the poplar or birch shaft. We age and antique each shaft so that it has the proper appearance. Our feathers are split shaft fletched to present the "pretty" side of the feather to anyone who sees it. We use only the best Turkey feathers to fletch our arrows and our wrappings are second to none. |
|
Some Details |
|
 
|
"Flaking" is the process of chipping away flint,
chert or other stones to create a sharp edge and point for an arrowhead
and a mountable base for the point to attach solidly into the
shaft. Though we don't flake these points ourselves they are each hand-flaked and are each completely unique in shape and color. As Navajo's would use a pine pitch to help secure the point to the shaft, we use a modern equivalent and can assure you that the tip won't work it's way loose from the shaft. Putting our points on the shafts is a unique five step process that takes two days to finish. You'll appreciate the solid look and feel! |
|
Sinew is the tough ligament that attaches an
animal's muscle to bones. It was used to bind the points and feathers to the arrow shaft. We use an artificial sinew that gives the proper look without the smell and mess of using real sinew. We do a solid wrap at least two inches (and often three) up the shaft for stability and then we twist and wrap a diamond design over that. It is our families signature way of finishing Peace Arrows and it gives them a look that is unmatched in Native America. |
 
|
|
The feather part of an arrow can
be made several ways. We use the most time consuming method because it gives
you the most visually stunning look. We use a very fine blade to split the arrow's shaft about 12 inches. Then we trim a feather that has been hand picked for the arrow to fit into the split. We use the same type of sinew wrapping at the base of the feather as we did for the point so that the arrow's appearance matches from notch to point. |
|
|
Here is a rack full of arrows waiting to be finished. While we have no way of letting you pick out individual arrows, please choose your choice of sinew color and size of your arrow tip. Our arrows come in two sizes. A regular size that is made from a 3/8" Poplar or Birch shaft. The regular size arrow has a point that is between 1and 2 inches long. It looks great on any wall or desk. |
The Large tipped arrows are made from a bigger shaft - about 7/16" - and are almost always made from Poplar. We use a company in Cincinnatti, Ohio where our shafts are turned to order so that they are as straight and fresh as they can be. The tips on these larger arrows are quite impressive and measure about 3" in length.
I hope you will find a place for these special creations
of my culture in your life.
|
|