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Chickasaw phragmites fishing arrows

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swamp monkey:
The Chickasaw crafted arrows from phragmites and tipped them with hardwood tips.  I became inspired to replicate these items and following are my results.  I started with pages 94 and 95 in Hamm and Allely's Encyclopedia of Native American Bows, Arrows and Quivers.
I gathered thin diameter maple and elm sections for the inserts.
I made some thin cordage with dogbane fibers.  12-15 inches was plenty for the arrows.  I used some larger diameter cordage for the quivers. 
I cut some large diameter ( 1 " +) river cane (Arundinaria gigantea) for quivers. 
 I chose roughly 1/4" dia. shafts on the large end.  I used dry heat to straighten them with mixed results.  Phragmites will only bend so far.  I let them dry completely and speculate whether steam or green bending would help.  Regardless I was able to straighten enough to make two sets, One for me and one for a buddy who likes this kind of stuff too.  I prepared fore-shafts first so I could cut each phragmites shaft to ensure the arrows  were all roughly the same size.    Then I prepared each phragmites shaft for fitting.  The Chickasaw sanded down the tip so it was tapered before wrapping with cordage.    Finally, I worked the nocks.  I made sure each nock was immediately behind a node so the string would not split the shaft when shot.  Choosing a shaft that will place the nock where it needs to be and allow for a few inches in the front for a fore-shaft insert to slide in requires some choosiness, but it is worth it. 

Following final sanding I heat treated each tip to harden it.   I have used coals and heat guns to accomplish this depending on what was more convenient. 

Once done I used a satin finish Min-wax sealant just to make them look nice.  I wrapped a few loops of thin dogbane around the phrag. tips and inserted the hardwood tip.  Use your preferred adhesive here to keep things in place.  I do not know if the Chickasaw did but I like my inserts to stay put unless there is a practical reason to do otherwise. 

swamp monkey:
Here are the final product tips and wide shot with quivers.  One thing that surprised me and I would never have given any thought to until I tried to make a replica was the quiver diameter and length.  Allely and Hamm indicate one quiver was 23 inches long and the other was 15.  I don't know about your area but where I cut cane one inch and smidgen larger diameter can be found but the length is what impressed me.  You see the quiver uses the node for the base.  Then the hollow inter-nodal section (part in between nodes) is the tube used to hold the arrows.  The quiver was cut off just below the other node.  Here in MO we have internodes sections on cane that can reach 12 even 13 inches but I have never seen 15 much less a 23 inch section of cane between nodes.  It made me wonder if that was rare back then as it is now or if we no longer allow cane to grow in choice spots thus limiting its potential.  I have heard stories of canebrakes that were 300 plus acres in SE Missouri with stalks reaching 20 feet in height.  That does not exist anymore either. 

But I digress.  So I made one quiver as long as I could by itself and then spliced two cane pieces together to make a 23 inch variety.  After filing in some scallops to the opening, I sanded and sealed this as I did the arrows then wrapped some dogbane around the splice.  I want to be upfront with what I did - I just don't want to have to look at it. ;) Allely and Hamm indicate the quivers had cordage on opposite ends.  I could not see much use for simply wrapping the ends because they do no take any impact like a shaft would for an arrow or atlatl dart.  So I decided to give them both a short strap to be used as a handle.  If you ever wade and bow fish you encounter situations where you will be chest deep in water.  So a strap slung over your shoulder is not going to work well.  So I made these to be held in the left hand while holding the bow too. 

This spring I hope to test these arrows for flight speed (when I find a chronograph), and then take them to a creek to see how far they penetrate the water.  The reference indicates the arrows were used in association with fish poisoning, so that likely means the fish were near the surface and had little need for the arrows to go deep.  So for all practicality these may end up being wall hangers if they are not much good for suckers, and sunfish.  As ginger as they are I might make a few extra when I do all this testing.  A guy can't run out of arrows! ;D

swamp monkey:
By the way i have no intention of using plant poisons.  In this day and age if I need fish and cannot seem to catch any myself, I will go to long john silver's or look all puppy dog eyed to a buddy with a freezer full.  I am fortunate enough not to worry about starvation like the natives did each winter and am thankful for what I have.   Enjoy folks.

recurve shooter:
cool stuff man. yeah i tried phrag and kept breakin it, so i gave up lol.

Cacatch:
Nicely put, Swamp. Way to think for yourself.

CP

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