Carving Native American Faces: Native American Man and Woman Subjects

Native Americans are noble people who have played a significant role in the history of the United State and in our society. They have unique facial structures and expressions. Their faces tell a story that is fascinating. The angles of their cheekbones and their strong jawlines are excellent subjects for carving in wood. My initial interest in Native Americans resulted after meeting a man wearing a full headdress. He may have been there for the sake of tourists but as a youth, I was fascinated and believed him to be a real chief. While learning to carve Native American carvings I used mainly basswood. I studied the history of Native Americans in Minnesota and the surrounding states and tried to put the spirit of those who have passed before us. I hoped to show the beauty and dignity of the Native American people. I became interested in trying my skills using cottonwood bark found in my area. Cottonwood trees grow in the St. Croix River valley of Minnesota near Pikes Island. Many of these old trees have trunks that grow to approximately five feet in diameter and produce bark thick enough to carve excellent Native American faces. Some of these trees are more than 150 years old and have many rings as a testimony to the timeline of our own American history. These trees were alive and growing not far from the very site where many Dakota (Lakota - named Sioux) was held prisoner after the Minnesota Indian uprising of 1862. Many Native Americans died in that prison on Pikes Island while others suffered to near starvation. This is a sad part of our American history that should never have happened and cannot be forgotten. Every carving seems to tell its own story, a way to show off the life of the wood. This book is used to demonstrate my method of carving Native American faces in wood. Read more