K'ish (Alder) was primarily used to make spears and dyes.
The ideal spear was made from a straight Alder branch that measured about 7 - 8 feet long, with a diameter of about 3 inches. With rocks, the branch would then be pounded until the diameter compressed to about 1 1/2 inch, making it very a strong and deadly weapon. Finally, the spear was adorned with a tuft of eagle feathers.
With certain prayers and songs, the eagle feather gave Diné warriors the ability to see very clearly and to have a keen sense of intuition on the battle field. For this reason Diné warrior also have eagle feathers on their war caps.
K'ish was also used as a dye for various crafts such as baskets, leather, and wool. The K'ish would be ground and powdered and mixed with other herbs (juniper ash, roots, and mountain mahogany) to create a light brown dye.