well, it depends on how traditional you want to go. Most "native american" knives were actually traded from the whites in the 1800s. To go truely authentic, try chipped obsidian.
I really dont know whether its ignorance (which is perfectly fine...i am no expert but my dad is) on your or my part, but I dont understand what you mean by native american knife. Traditionally, very little (if any) metal forging was done. My dad has a "native american" knife. Stamped on the blade, is a date somewhere in the 1800s and England, the rest is hard to read. The real collector item is the beadwork sheath that it is in.
An interesting note is that the knife is not really sharp. It is a plain shape with a flat spine (so the "edge" comes up to the spine to make a high point). By not sharp i dont mean that it has dulled, but it looks as if it never had an edge put on it. The primary grind is thinner at the base and thickens near the tip. While it is over 100 years old, it doesnt look like it has ever had an edge put on it, in the way we think of it. It is also patinad, but not heavily rusted. Full tang riveted wooden handle.
I hope this helps you make sense of things.
