Braintanning Buffalo Hides: An overview

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An Overview of Bison Robe Tanning: page 2

History
Maybe a little history of the buffalo trade would be of interest. Starting somewhere near the beginning, indigenous people of North America were tanning buffalo in all probability before Columbus. In Coronado's expedition through the Great Plains of 1540-42, he claimed to have seen buffalo hunter's living in skin tents. He further goes on to describe a buffalo hide tipi and its framework of poles. Obviously this style of life and dwelling didn't come about over night, so we can assume that the history of buffalo tanning is lost to antiquity and is probably quite old.

hide tipis and the buffalo people, a drawing by George Catlin

A drawing by George Catlin from the late 1830's of Plains Indians
with hide tipis, and the tanning of buffalo hides in process

Moving up in time to the early 1800's we find a commercial use for tanned robes. In 1834 William Marshall Anderson wrote:
"Mr. Fontenelle asserted this evening, to knowing ones, that the American Fur company at their posts on the Miss. & Missouri rivers, traded with the Sioux alone, in one winter, for fifty thousand robes - For this trade, it is remembered the cows only are killed" (Rocky Mountain Journals, Anderson pg 179).
Already the tide was turning for the massive herds, and people were predicting extinction even this early in time. Some interesting points are brought up in this one paragraph, first to the tanner is the last sentence that only cows are tanned. It has been my experience they are alot easier, so try to get cows if possible. The second interest is only historical but all these hides were robes, meaning that they were purchased tanned. In other words all these robes destined to become the lap robes and rugs of eastern white consumers were braintanned by Native American's. These were tanned above and beyond what the Sioux needed for their own consumption.

Lets move forward to the winter of 1870. Because of a decline in the number of cattle skins available to tanners for the world market interests shifted to other animals. By 1871, commercial tanning methods had been perfected for buffalo leather and the demand for skins was on. Because these hides were destined for leather (hair off) they could now be killed year round. Enter the white hide-hunter's and the final chapter was written for the remaining herds.
Hopefully this will be read with interest and not as a condemnation. It was a different time and least we stand in judgement consider what our predecessors will think of environmental problems that are our legacy. Anyhow thank goodness today there are plenty of buffalo so let's move on to something more exciting, like turning a raw buffalo skin into a beautiful robe.