“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.

Traditional use of Tatanka “Parts” Gallery

Answer the following questions about the buffalo part above:1. What is the buffalo part called?

2. Where is the buffalo part located on a buffalo?3. What is a traditional use of the buffalo part?

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 istanned (commonly called buckskin);

it is very soft, pliable and strong.

Native Americans tanned the hide byspreading the hide with a mixture (paste)

of fat, liver and cooked brains; then itwas placed in the sun to dry.

The buffalo hide wasremoved from the

outside of the buffalo.

The hide was prepared withand without the fur,

depending on the use.

A bone flesher was traditionally used

to remove muscle (flesh)and fat from the hide.

Both the tanned hide, right, andun-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 approximately18 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.

Un-tanned hide was traditionally used to make shields, drums, ropes, saddle

blankets, masks, caps, lariats, snowshoes, stirrups, bull boats (small boat made byattaching rawhide to a wooden frame),saddles, cinches, splints, containers,moccasin soles, sheaths (knife case),

straps, buckets, quirts (riding whips) andparfleche. Parfleche was an envelope-likecontainer 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)

Answer the following questions about the buffalo part above:1. What is the buffalo part called?

2. What is a traditional use of the buffalo part?3. Where is the buffalo part located on a buffalo?

The buffalo part is a buffalotail. The buffalo tail shown

has a hard handle and fluffy end.

Buffalo tails were traditionallyused 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 madeinto a flyswatter.

Answer the following questions about the buffalo part above:1. What is the buffalo part called?

2. What is a traditional use of the buffalo part?3. Where is the buffalo part located on a buffalo?

The buffalo part shown leftis 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).

A buffalo bone was worked (carved) intothe 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.

Bone awl (compact bone - surface of bone)

Bone awl flipped (spongy bone - interior of bone)

Spongy Bone

Compact Bone

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Answer the following questions about the buffalo part above:1. What is the buffalo part called?

2. What is a traditional use of the buffalo part?3. Where is the buffalo part located on a buffalo?

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 buffaloand Native Americans. Buffalo were very

hardy animals; cold temperatures and blizzardconditions had little if any effect on them.

Buffalo wool was traditionally used byNative 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.

Answer the following questions about the buffalo part above:1. What is the buffalo part called?

2. What is a traditional use of the buffalo part?3. Where is the buffalo part located on a buffalo?

The buffalo part is a buffalofoot bone; the bones shownare 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.