“Traditional use of Tatanka (buffalo)” is a PowerPoint

“Traditional use of Tatanka (buffalo)” is a PowerPoint series developed by Badlands National Park and South Dakota Public Broadcasting. The PowerPoint series includes a brief history of buffalo in South Dakota. Also, there are photos of buffalo parts, like a buffalo hide and tail. Your students are encouraged to guess the traditional use of the buffalo part and its location on the buffalo. Click the mouse to advance through the PowerPoint. "Click" will appear in the lower right-hand corner when it is time to advance. (Click)

Traditional use of Tatanka (buffalo) Part III (Click)

Traditional use of Tatanka “Parts” Gallery • Answer the following questions about the buffalo part above: • What is the buffalo part called? • Where is the buffalo part located on a buffalo? • What is a traditional use of the buffalo part? (Click)

The buffalo part is buffalo hide. The buffalo hide shown on the right is un-tanned (commonly called rawhide); it is very stiff and strong. The buffalo hide shown below is tanned (commonly called buckskin); it is very soft, pliable and strong. Native Americans tanned the hide by spreading the hide with a mixture (paste) of fat, liver and cooked brains; then it was placed in the sun to dry. The buffalo hide was removed from the outside of the buffalo. The hide was prepared with and without the fur, depending on the use. A bone flesher was traditionally used to remove muscle (flesh) and fat from the hide. (Click)

Both the tanned hide, right, and un-tanned hide, below, had many uses. Tanned hide (soft and pliable) was traditionally used to make bags, belts, bedding, shirts, dresses, bridles, tipi covers and liners (an average sized tipi used approximately 18 buffalo hides; the tipi would measure 6 feet in diameter), quivers (case for arrows), backrests, tapestries, sweat- lodge covers, moccasin tops, winter robes and cradles. buckskin (tanned) Tanned Un-tanned hide was traditionally used to make shields, drums, ropes, saddle blankets, masks, caps, lariats, snowshoes, stirrups, bull boats (small boat made by attaching rawhide to a wooden frame), saddles, cinches, splints, containers, moccasin soles, sheaths (knife case), straps, buckets, quirts (riding whips) and parfleche. Parfleche was an envelope-like container made from rawhide. It was often used to store pemmican. Courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society This is an example of a traditional parfleche envelope. The parfleche envelope shown was a gift from the wife of Red Fox to Frances Densmore. Red Fox was a Dakota Chief residing on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation of South Dakota and North Dakota. “Dakota parfleche envelope,” in Minnesota History Educators Resources, Item #260, http://content.mnhs.org/education/items/show/260 (accessed March 3, 2009) Un-tanned (Click) (Click)

Answer the following questions about the buffalo part above: • What is the buffalo part called? • What is a traditional use of the buffalo part? • Where is the buffalo part located on a buffalo? (Click)

The buffalo part is a buffalo tail. The buffalo tail shown has a hard handle and fluffy end. Buffalo tails were traditionally used by Native Americans to make small whips, flyswatters or they could be hung on a tipi pole for decoration. The buffalo tail was removed from the rear of the animal. The buffalo tail above was made into a flyswatter. (Click)

The buffalo part shown left is a bone awl. The bone awl is hard and durable with one very sharp end. Bone awls were tools traditionally used by Native Americans for making holes in buffalo hide (below). The hide was then sewed with sinew (tendon). Bone awl (compact bone - surface of bone) Bone awl flipped (spongy bone - interior of bone) Spongy Bone Florida Center for Instructional Technology Compact Bone Sinew A buffalo bone was worked (carved) into the awl shape; rib or leg bones were normally used to make the awls. Buffalo bones were also used to make pipes, knives, shovels, war clubs, paintbrushes, quirts (riding whip), scrapers, saddle trees (saddle frame), fleshing tools, arrowheads and sleds. Hide (Click)

The buffalo part is wool (hair). Wool is a very thick (dense), soft and warm hair. It was a great source of insulation for the buffalo and Native Americans. Buffalo were very hardy animals; cold temperatures and blizzard conditions had little if any effect on them. Buffalo wool was traditionally used by Native Americans to make ropes (twisted hair), pillow and pad fillers, headdresses, halters, bracelets, moccasin lining, doll stuffing, hair pieces and ornamentals. The buffalo wool was removed from the outside of the buffalo. (Click)

The buffalo part is a buffalo foot bone; the bones shown are very hard and smooth. Buffalo foot bones were traditionally used by Native Americans to make toys for their children. Native Americans used bones like these to make tiny horses or buffalo. Buffalo foot bones were removed from the foot of the buffalo; flesh (muscle) and connective tissue were removed from the tiny bones. (Click)

This concludes Part III of the "Traditional use of Tatanka (buffalo)" PowerPoint series. Please select Part IV for additional buffalo parts photos and facts. •Photos provided by Badlands National Park , the Minnesota Historical Society and Florida Center for Instructional Technology (FCIT) at USF. http://etc.usf.edu/clipart •Information provided by Badlands National Park and the South Dakota State Historical Society •Music: "The Prairie Chicken" and "Buffalo" from Oceti Sakowin: The People of the Seven Council Fires; composed and performed by Kevin Locke. (Click)

“Traditional use of Tatanka (buffalo)” is a PowerPoint