Few know the Cherokee Blowgun as well as Danny McCarter. As a lifelong teacher and Cherokee National Treasure, Danny shares the importance of helping others and listening to our elders.
I have been a blowgun fan since I was a kid. I try to watch and read anything and everything blowgun related. I own several, but am partial to stainless steel, as it serves as much more than a blowgun when I'm in the forest. This man's darts are truly beautiful. I am in awe. I aspire to make great darts, and these will take me years to master. Thanks for the upload.
My blowgun teacher, George Potter, back in '74, in Atlanta, scared me. He could sink a dart 4 inches into solid oak. I never acquired that kind of lung power.
River Cane is the ONLY bamboo native to North America, and found only in the eastern and southern U.S. It has two subspecies; switch cane and giant cane - only the latter being useful for blowguns. The smaller switch cane works find for lattices, baskets and other such work. Once common in large fields known as "cane brakes" the stuff isn't as readily found as it once was. From a distance, cane resembles marijuana due to the leaf pattern.
Yup! Switch cane is also known as hill cane in the Appalachian mtns. Found a stand near some old concrete steps that lead into the creek... And I am going on a deep dive, even watching college level presentations on it... And of course the native Americans stories about it. I'm enthralled, walked the line, found a dozen stands, separate plants, and one stand that died, with many knew plants popping up in the area and nearby. Already harvesting the thickest areas, and the areas I am 'told' to, by the rivercane, apparently. Far as I'm concerned, bury me next to the rivercane.
