Bridget Skenadore, the American Indian College Fund’s Native Arts and Culture Project Coordinator, had the opportunity this week to participate in the Sisseton Wahpeton College’s Wokape’ Parfleche Workshop. Parfleche was used by tribes in the Plains as rawhide containers to store food and personal belongings. The workshop was led by master artists Randilynn Boucher and Joe Giago. Bridget says it was a great experience to learn about the art’s history and the process for making it while evaluating this College Fund program first hand.
Below are a few photos from the workshop. All of the materials are natural. The hide used is deer hide in which the students of Sisseton Wahpeton College processed themselves this past fall. The paints used were earth paints and we mixed with buffalo hide glue, which was made on site.
For more about the College Fund programs for restoring and preserving Native art forms visit the Restoration and Preservation of Traditional Native Arts and Knowledge web page for more information on the arts and programs.
