Western Shoshone Buckskin Work

Deer Hunting and the Sequence of Steps in Buckskin Processing

Deer Hunting

In late summer, the Western Shoshone of Nevada would hunt deer high in the Ruby Mountains. It was rocky terrain with aspen, spruce, fir, and ponderosa forests and thickets of scrub oak. Since the only weapons the Shoshone had were spears and bow and arrows, it was difficult to catch the fast and sure-footed deer.

The Shoshone would work together to catch their deer, using the advantages of nature. They built deer chutes along the rocky mountain walls. They would build a wall of logs opposite rocks or cliffs with a wing-like opening leading to the chute. Having stalked and studied the movements of the deer, the hunters would then set fires to the areas of brush that they knew the deer were hiding in. They would surround the deer and drive them towards the narrow opening in the chute. This was known as intercept-strategy hunting.

As the deer entered the narrow part of the chute, the hunters hiding on the outside of the logs would then spear the deer. After killing the deer, they would get the dead animal out of the way by pulling it under the logs and out of the chute. This way more deer could be driven into the chute. Bighorn sheep were also hunted this way.

Once killed, the deer hunters would slit the animal's throat and drink the blood from the deer. It was believed that the animal's blood when consumed immediately would provide strength and vitality to the hunters. Then the entire stomach was removed and washed out. The heart, liver, kidneys and lungs were placed in the stomach container, to be eaten after returning to camp.

Fresh deer meat was usually not eaten. They usually ate the organs and intestines first. The intestines were a delicacy but were also used for containers. They saved and used all parts of the deer. The brains were for tanning and the bones for a variety of tools, charms and ornaments. They even saved the hoofs and horns to be made into "tinklers" or pendants, or boiled for glue.

After cleaning their kill, the hunters would take the meat and extras back to the main camps. Here the women would finish the preparation of the meat. They would skin the deer by cutting the skin away from the meat. They would remove the fat from the meat and store it separately. Usually, they divided up the kill for all members of the band.

They would cut the meat into thin strips, dry it, and store it in a cool, dry place out of the sun's rays. They used bags woven from sagebrush bark or made from skins to store dried foods.

Buckskin Processing

Once the skin was removed from the deer, the hide was rinsed, then hung or stretched out until it was dry. They would then clean the epidermis, the outer layer of skin, off. The epidermis could be easily scraped off, usually with a deer's rib bone. It took skill to scrape the epidermis off without cutting into the hide. If the epidermis is not scraped off, then it left a hard and drawn area on the softened buckskin.

If the person wanted the hair left on the hide, immediately after cleaning it, they would comb the inside of the hide with a currie-like rock and stretch it so it would soften. If the hair was to be removed, it would be soaked in water for about a week. Water loosened the hair from the skin so that the hair could also be easily scraped off with a rib bone.

With all the hair and epidermis removed, it was ready to be soaked in the tanning solution. The solution was made from the deer's brains and spinal cord. The brains were boiled, sieved to remove the blood vessels, and made into a paste like solution. It was rubbed all over the hide and hung out to dry over night.

By morning, the hide was swollen and bleached by the solution. It was then rinsed and wrung out so that it could be stretched. It took much stretching and pulling of the hide until it was completely dry. It was important that all parts of the hide be pulled and stretched to prevent hardening or thickening when it dried. If pulled too much in one area, that part of the hide became too thin and tore when used.

Once the hide was dry and softened, it would be smoked to give it the golden tan color by which it is known as buckskin. A small fire made with cedar chips was built, but left smoldering. The hide was sewn into a conical fashion and hung over the smoldering fire so that the smoke went up the hide, giving it that golden color and special fragrance.

Now the buckskin was ready to make into clothing. Using personalized techniques , the women would fit the hide to the person and cut out clothing, or moccasins. To sew, they used specialized bone needles and awls and thread made from the sinew of the deer. To make coverings for cradleboards, they would have to make the board first, then fashion the buckskin around the board and sew it around the board. Once sewn, the buckskin item, then was decorated with bone, juniper and other natural seed beads, feathers, or shells.

Today much of this process has changed. Very few people tan hides because it takes too much time, work, and effort. After the white men came to this country, the Shoshone traded for and used metal knives and guns to help kill and scrape the hides. Many Shoshone even stopped hunting the deer or when they did, they did not save the hide or use all the parts of the deer. Very few are even tanning the hides, since they are able to buy what they need from stores or from other people. Even metal and glass beads now decorate their wearing apparel and items. Tanning has now become a specialty craft among the Shoshone of Nevada.

Cooperative Lesson | Buckskin Worksheet