Hide Stories

A Method of Recording Important Events

Buffalo robes, hides, were used to record tribal history by many of The Plains Indians. In 1805 Lewis and Clark collected the first known buffalo robe record. The Indians used picture symbols to tell their story.

Here are the directions for making a hide story using brown paper bags. Our class read The Gift of the Sacred Dog by Paul Goble and each student created his/her own "picture" summary of the story.

Materials:

A large brown grocery bag , 4 or 5 bowls of water, assorted markers or tempera paint, scissors, and a list of Indian picture symbols

Step 1: Open the paper bag and cut into two pieces. You will need one half of the paper bag.

Step 2: Tear the bag into the shape of an animal skin.

Step 3: Scrunch the bag into a ball and soak it in a bucket of water. Unfold it and let it dry.

Step 4: Write a story with Indian picture symbols on the skin. Use paint to let the message be easy to see.

Step 5: Show the story and then put on a bulletin board to be seen.

If you would like to view more of our classes' hide story photographs, please click here.