View Three: Materials

Hides are important materials used for various purposes such as making tipis and clothing. Different types of hide can be used for paintings. This particular pictograph is made from buffalo hide. The piece of hide is pretty large, about 1.64 x 2.24 m, tanned and has a soft look. These require a tedious and careful work from the crafters which are likely to be women to produce the good quality hide. Buffalo hides in the region became great business in the 19th century due to the fur trade (Dempsey, 2019). Given that buffalo are central in many aspects of the Blackfoot, the disappearance of buffalo due to extensive hunting affected their lives significantly.