buffalo robes
Plains tribal wraps
Buffalo robes are the tanned hides of American bison, worn as cloaks or used as blankets and bedding.
Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains produced them for centuries before commercial hunting decimated bison herds in the late 1800s.
The robes were prized for warmth and traded widely: settlers wrapped themselves in buffalo robes against the prairie winter.
- peltFur-bearing animal skin
- bisonLarge wild ox
- quillworkEmbroidery with porcupine spines
- blanketSoft bed covering
- fursAnimal hair or garments
hide · skins · hunting · winter · beadwork · native crafts · painted designs · Plains Indians · fur trade · trade goods · rugs · coverings · ceremonial garments · tribal patterns · animal hides · buckskin · winter counts · Métis
- Indigenous Tradebartering, trade networks, trade goods, salt trade, regional trade
- Native Craftsnative crafts, moccasins, beaded moccasins, dreamcatchers, war bonnet