The Native American flute is second only in popularity to the drum and have been a major part of native American music for generations.
There are a number of differences in native American flutes as compared to the classical silver flutes..
Primarily made of wood rather than metal
Handmade by hobbyists rather than mass produced in factories
Used for folk music rather than classical Western music
Styles vary widely, rather than the standard C flute that is used today usually don't have a metal key mechanism, simply holes to place the fingers over. There are five-hole flutes and six-hole flutes. Both allow playing all the notes of the chromatic scale.