“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.

The animal shown on the left, traditionally used by the Native Americans inSouth Dakota, is commonly called a buffalo, but it is not a true buffalo;it is an American Bison (Bison bison). A true buffalo (water), shown on

the right is a massive ox-like animal with large horns.

We will refer to the American Bison as a buffalo in this interactive, because many South Dakotans commonly call the bison a buffalo.

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Buffalo are the largest land animal in North America. They can measuresix feet in height and weigh up to one ton (2,000 lbs). They are surprisinglyfast animals with very short legs giving them the ability to change direction

very quickly. A buffalo has a very large lung capacity and can outrun a horse.

During the 16th to the 19th century it was estimated that 60 to 70 million buffalo roamed the Great Plains. Typical herds were described as being several

miles wide and 50 miles long; the ground came alive and rumbled when they moved. The Native Americans hunted and relied on the buffalo during this time

period. They respected the buffalo using every part of the animal for survival.

The traditional way of life the Native Americans were accustomed to would suddenly change.European exploration and settling of the plains reduced the large herds of buffalo in arelatively short period of time. Over-hunting, fur trading and ranching are a few of theconditions that reduced the herds from 60 – 70 million in the 1830s to approximately 550 in the late 1880s. Another source estimated there were 1,100 buffalo remaining in the United States and Canada in the late 1880s. The traditional way of life for the

Native Americans ended and they were forced onto reservations.

Photo Courtesy of the State Archives of the South Dakota State Historical Society

Photo Courtesy of the State Archives of the South Dakota State Historical Society

Courtesy of National Archives and Records Administration – West Collection

Photo Courtesy of the State Archives of the South Dakota State Historical Society

Traditional use of Tatanka “Parts” Gallery

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 tanned buffalo hide with fur; tanned hide is very soft and pliable.

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

fat, liver and cooked brains; then it wasplaced in the sun to dry.

The hide with hair was traditionally used for warm

blankets and tipi floor coverings.It was also used for moccasins;the moccasins were made fur side in for warmth in winter.

The section of fur shown here is 4 inches long; it is very wooly and thick. The fur was removedfrom 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 fleshing tool; it fits comfortably in the hand.

The bone flesher was traditionally used to removemuscle (flesh) and fat from

the hide before it was tanned.

The bone flesher was removed from the lower

leg 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 bladder bag; the bladder bag shown in the photo is rough to the touch,

hard and inflated.

The bladder was used by the buffalo to store urine before

it was excreted by the animal.

An inflated buffalo bladder bag was traditionally used by Native

Americans to carry water fordrinking; it can carry

approximately 2 liters of fluid.

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 called sinew; the sinew shown in

the photo is very strongand stringy. The fibers of the

sinew are similar to a very tough thread; it was traditionally used to sew buffalo hides together to

make tipis and clothing.

Sinew (tendon) is connective tissue found in animals; it is used toconnect muscle to bone. The muscle of the buffalo’s back was a prime

location to find sinew. Sinew was also used to make bow strings.

Traditional bead-workers still use sinew today.

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 called dung or chip. The dung shown

in the photo is very dry,crumbly and flaky.

The dung was traditionally usedfor fuel and to make diaper powder,

jewelry, and toys (frisbee-like).

Dung was a natural by-product ofthe buffalo. The chips were plentiful

and easy to collect. The Great Plains did not have a large source of firewood for fuel; the dried dung provided a great

alternative fuel source.

Look close – you should notice that the dung is very fibrous with remnants of plant material. This reinforces the fact that buffalo are herbivores (plant-eaters). Herbivore feces burn nice and clean.

Animals can be classified by the type of food they consume.Two types of animals classifiedby the food they consume are

carnivores and herbivores.Carnivores are flesh eating

organisms; herbivores are plant-eating organisms.

The feces, shown in the two photos, are a natural by-product of two different South Dakota animals. One of the animals is a carnivoreand the other is a herbivore. Can you guess which photo indicates

a carnivore and which one indicates a herbivore? Can you

guess the name of each animal?

The photo above is a photoof buffalo feces; buffalo are classified as herbivores. The photo to the left is a photo of

mountain lion feces. Mountain lionsare classified as carnivores.

A close examination of the feces inthe photos can provide clues to thetype of food eaten by the animal. The photo to the right consists of undigested plant material with no

indication of hair (fur) or bone.Undigested hair (fur) can be seen in

the photo below; there is noindication of plant material.