Flint on Pyrite

• Native Americans often made fire by scratch flint and pyrite against each other in order to create sparks. Sparks were applied near small tinder and dried leaves to create flames. Flint and pyrite is one of the oldest methods of making fire.
  
  

Feeding the Fire

• After making sparks with flint and pyrite, Native Americans would feed the small glowing embers of tree bark and leaves and small tinder with dried grasses and larger sticks. Fires were fed slowly with materials that would catch fire and burn quickly, allowing the fire to grow.
  
  

Wood-on-Wood

• Rubbing two pieces of wood together to create friction and heat is another common way of creating fire. One piece of wood would be sharpened to a point at one end and was rubbed quickly and continuously against a dent made in the other. The friction would create heat, and the heat would warm the wood and create coals. Coals would be carefully blown on until they grew into a flame. Fire was fed by small pieces of wood and leaves, and then larger wood was added to keep the fire going.
  
  

Dry Pine Wood

• Many Native Americans used dry pine wood when fueling their fires because dry pine was light and easily ignitable. It heats up quickly and ignites at a much lower temperature, so it was often used in the wood-on-wood method of making fire. Using dry pine kept fires burning and made building fires easy to do.