HELP with I.D.- Trade Axe Native American

While heading for one estate sale I came upon another. There was little there. I have a passion for old tools with wood handles so I headed for the garage where I found this axe, which I assumed to be nothing more than an axe until the following day when I was told that it was a tomahawk, and should probably do some research on it. I contacted a local who is well known for his knowledge of Native American items. He was able to tell me a little, but also told me that he was unfamiliar with the treatment of the wood, the groove and the stylized tipi. He was also not familiar with the type of banding around the bottom and the significance of the letters. The fourth image shows the letter 'A'. On the opposite side of the handle are identical marking with the exception of the A, which is a 'W' instead.
The wood on the handle has a beautiful patina and what I initially thought was a grain, but was told that it was a surface treatment of the wood.
The axe head has not been cleaned so it is difficult to tell if there may be a makers’ mark. Perhaps the A & W are the makers’ marks.
I am hoping that someone will be able to provide additional information about this item. Thanks for any information that you can provide.