Singing, chanting and the playing of instruments played an integral role in Woodlands ceremonies and rituals. The Iroquois referred to these woodwind instruments as, Ya-o-da-was-ta or a “blow-pipe.” The use of birch and the pewter inlay is characteristic of the Northeastern tribes. This is the only known example.

The anthropologist Lewis H. Morgan wrote, “As played by the Indians, it (the oboe) affords a species of wild and plaintive music.” (Tooker, Lewis H. Morgan on Iroquois Material Culture, 1994).