Event Details (U.S. National Park Service)

Fee:

Free. FREE

Location:

Picnic Shelter

Repeating Event

Days:

Every day

Dates:

June 20, 2024 to June 22, 2024

Time:

10:00 AM

Duration:

6 hours

Type of Event

Cultural/Craft Demonstration

Come stop by and learn anytime from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Description

Once the most common skin type worked and used on the Plains, bison hide was the fabric of much of North America. Come visit Knife River Indian Villages NHS and handle the material that was used to hold the world together for thousands of years. Join Billy Maxwell on the method of working bison hides, as well as how to create parfleche envelopes.

He will be on site at our picnic shelter Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Stop by and see what he is working on, learn the process as well as ask questions.

Billy has focused for the last 27 years using Buffalo Bird Woman’s (Hidatsa) notes on how she handled bison skin for making buckskin. Such softened hides were used for tipis, clothing, bags, and more.