Montana
Plains / Blackfeet

Northwest Red Cedar, brass
ca. Mid 1980s
Length: 22 in
Aerophone – Wind Instruments Proper – Edge-blown Flutes

Engraved/signed on brass spacer plate: K. Light

This Great Lakes Woodlands flute style with six finger holes, is signed by Ken Light.  It employs the Great Lakes Woodlands (Blackfeet) tuning in F# minor and the woodlands people call the flute “minewi’skan,’ (Waterspirit.)  Their flute tradition was connected to a spiritual and physical relationship with water. It has a beautiful tone and is easy to play.

This Native American flute has two air chambers: The end that is closest to the player’s mouth with a slanted upward (ramp-type) channel, and the bottom foot end or sound chamber, also called the pipe body. Inside the flute is a plug or stopper that separates these two chambers.  The Native American flute is not strictly considered an end-blown flute.  Air is blown into the mouth hole of the flute and travels to the exit hole of the first chamber, on top, where there is an affixed external/mobile block (often in the shape of a bird).  This affixed block serves as a roof or cover at the ‘wind way’ between both chambers and directs the blown air into the flue of the second chamber across a splitting edge (fipple edge).  This sound chamber with six fingerholes, allow the player to change the frequency (pitch) of the vibrating air by covering the holes with their fingers.

Reference:   Amon Olorin flutes.com