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Parfleche Project

Parfleche is a traditional Indigenous container made from buffalo or other animal hide. It was historically used to carry household tools or foods. The creation process involved removing and preparing the hide, then painting it with natural dyes before shaping it and adding ties. Common designs painted on parfleche included geometric shapes like triangles, squares, and parallel lines that represented elements of Indigenous cultures such as tipis, stars, and animal tracks.

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106 views2 pages

Parfleche Project

Parfleche is a traditional Indigenous container made from buffalo or other animal hide. It was historically used to carry household tools or foods. The creation process involved removing and preparing the hide, then painting it with natural dyes before shaping it and adding ties. Common designs painted on parfleche included geometric shapes like triangles, squares, and parallel lines that represented elements of Indigenous cultures such as tipis, stars, and animal tracks.

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© © All Rights Reserved
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PARFLECHE

Blackfoot art
NAME: _________________________

Parfleche is an Indigenous rawhide container, usually made


from buffalo, that is decorated with engravings, paintings or
both. The envelope-shaped parfleches were historically used
to contain items such as household tools or foods, such as
pemmican. Now, they may carry social, spiritual, and symbolic
meaning, or used as part of a dance or regalia.

Creation of the parfleche began with removal of the hide


from the animals. The hide would be stretched by staking it
above the ground, and scraped to an even thickness. A special
wash, usually animal glue which was made by boiling animal tissues in a pot, was applied for protection
before the moist hide was painted.

Natural paints and dyes were made and used to decorate the parfleche. Here are a few examples of
what might have been used to add color to parfleche’s:

BLACK: Charcoal, soot, or coal


GREEN: Algae and moss
RED: Yellow ochre clay
BLUE: Powdered azurite (copper mineral) or blueberry juices
Once the paint was dry, the women would dehair the opposite side of the hide using a stoning method,
and cut the outline of the parfleche using a metal knife or other similar tools. The container was folded
into its chosen shape and holes were cut or burned to insert ties and laces. Almost all traditional Plains
Indigenous art included patterns and designs that represented an aspect of their tribal culture.
Representations included:

TRIANGLE SHAPES TO SYMBOLIZE TIPIS OR MOUNTAINS

SQUARE SHAPES TO SYMBOLIZE STARS

PARALLELL LINES TO DEPICT ANIMAL TRACKS OR DIRECTIONAL PATHS.


Create your Parfleche Design
Explain your reasoning for your pattern and color choices:

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Draw a rough draft below:

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