"This walking stick was purchased from a member of the White Earth tribe in Minnesota. Can you identify and tell me about the wood it’s made from?"
Yes. This walking stick is a beautiful example from the Diamond Willow tree (Latin: Salix Bebbiana). The diamond effect is the tree’s natural response to a fungus. The shapes seem to result from the tree growing away from the site of the fungus, usually at the crotch of a branch or main stem.
The shape of the diamond pattern varies from one clump of willow to the next. The Diamond Willow’s wood is prized by wood carvers and furniture makers for its contrasting colors and sculptural irregularity.