Buckskin and Hide Work

Boas recorded in 1890 that "the clothing of the natives was made of furs or of deer-skin," and on the wider Plateau "the women wore buckskin shirts, breech cloths, leggings, and moccasins," with winter clothing "made out of rabbit, groundhog, or other animals' fur."

Boas documented the tanning process in detail: "The skin is soaked in a brook or in a river for a week. Then the hair is removed with a knife... the skin is wrung out and dried. When it is dry, water is made lukewarm, and the brains of a deer or any other animal are mixed with it. This mixture is spread over the dry skin, which is then wrung out once more, and worked with a stick, to the end of which a stone scraper is attached."

Smoking finished the hide: "Now a pit is dug, the bottom of which is filled with rotten wood. The latter is ignited, and both sides of the skin are smoked over the burning wood for a short time, the skin being stretched over the pit... It is believed that the smoking process has the effect of preventing the skin from becoming hard after getting wet. The skins of bucks and does are considered equally good; they are best in the autumn."

Dressed hides were wealth. In the trade networks Boas described, "dentalia and copper bracelets served as money," and "in exchange, the Shushwap gave dressed deer-skins and, probably, in late times, horses."

Hide clothing and its decoration continue today: as the Wikipedia overview of Plateau peoples notes, "Today, Native people still make traditional clothing, bags, baskets, and other items."