Walkingsticks-jewelry.com

Walking Sticks

The Natchez Trace was a 440 mile long trail stretching from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee.  The trail linked the Cumberland, Tennessee, and Mississippi rivers.  Native American Indians, colonial explorers, and the early Texas settlers used the Natchez Trace for both trade and exploration in the late 1700's and the early 1800's. 

One of the most famous historical heroes to use the Natchez Trace was Congressman David Crockett.  The Alamo and the Treaty of San Jacinto are part of the lore of Texas and the Natchez Trace. The pilgrims also carried walking sticks in their travel kits.

The Walking Sticks  come in a wide range of selected woods.  Some of note are birch, pine, ash, and maple.   The sticks range in size from 40 to 60 inches in length.  All are handcrafted and finished with leather and beads.  The crafter tried to maintain the integrity and spirit of the various woods.  All sticks will have some imperfections which are indigenous to their respective woods. 

All Natchez Trace walking sticks have the crafter's initials burned into the wood.  The purchase of a walking stick also comes with a certificate of authenticity.

Inukshuk is an Inuit word meaning in the image of man.  Many inushuks are found in Canada’s far northwest regions. These rock sculptures were built by the Inuits and served a variety of purposes. Travelers to the barren wilderness used the inukshuks as guideposts...a silent messenger showing the correct path to follow. Some inukshuks had one longer arm indicating the direction to travel. Others had a hole in the center. The traveler would look through the hole and see the next inukshuk in the far distance. Inukshuks on a river bank would mark a safe fording place.

 Inukshuks were also used to mark a special spiritual space by building a series of small inukshuks in a “V” formation. This formation was believed to help the Inuit hunt caribou.

 Today inukshuks stand as the eternal symbol of the importance of  friendship. They remind us of our dependence on one another.