I mainly use a type of wood called reed . I also use our traditional white ash that was used by our native ancestors. We also use sweet grass that is collected along the shore lines of our island. And I use sea grass. The technique I use is traditional Mi�Kmaq techniques that I learnt from my teachers. I dye my own reed.. I use natural dyes such as black walnut and rip dye. When I work with white ash I begin with a log, and I split the log in half then I split it again in quarters and then split again. Then it�s shaved on a workhorse using a draw knife. To create a square 2x1 inches . Then the square is ready to be pounded . Once the pounding is done you separate the growth rings on the log . Then I take each growth ring and shave it with my crooked knife. Thicker pieces are then separated further. I make handles using maple wood. The wood is cut exact same way you cut and prepare white ash , we just don�t pound the maple. Each piece is shapes into a handle.