"In early times, every culture began by settling near streams or lakes to assure that they would have a steady supply of water. Among the many varieties of plants that prefer to grow near water is one we call bamboo. Bamboo is essentially a hollow tube and, very likely, every culture on this planet began to craft their first flutes from this wonderful plant. So, many hundreds of years ago, what today is commonly called the Love Flute was made of bamboo.
As other tribes without access to bamboo became interested in making them as well, the flutes began to be made from pieces of wood with soft pithy cores that were split and hollowed out, and then bound together again. And, later, woods with harder cores were used. As new ideas occurred to those who made them, the flutes continued to evolve until they became instruments of unsurpassed beauty both in sound and in appearance."
Until fairly recently, the Native Flute had all but died with the elders who knew the old ways, since many of their children, growing up in modern society, were not interested in learning of such things, and very few were willing to pass on this knowledge to the white man. Thanks to a few caring individuals who saw what was happening, such as my mentor, Tim Spotted Wolf, the knowledge of the ways of Native flute making has continued on, and even flourished. There are literally dozens of Native flutemakers now listed on the internet, whereas just a couple of years ago there were only a handful. This is good to see!
As a side note, if you are looking for something more than just a standard Native American Style Flute as a musical instrument, please check out Tim's site, Turtle Island Music. Though his flutes are a little more expensive, they are truly works of art and are carved based on the recipient's body measurements rather than any particular musical key. Pure Artistry!