What does it mean to live in a natural world? It is more than hunting an animal and using its meat for nourishment and its hide for shelter and clothing. Living in a natural world is much more complex. It is both giving to and taking from that which is around you. It is innovation, using all parts of nature, both animal and plant, as a part of your daily life.
Surrounding the buffalo is a hands-on area where visitors can touch and see the numerous parts of a buffalo and learn of the buffalo's many uses.
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Moccasins, an arm band, and a breastplate
all show the intricate, detailed art of
quillworking.
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For the people that lived on the Northern Plains, life was conducted in the natural world. This exhibit explores the harvesting of animals in the natural world by focusing mainly on the products and processes Lakota people developed and employed traditionally in their daily lives. By examining the importance of the buffalo along with the working of leather, dyeing of materials, collecting of feathers, creation of bonework, and the working of quillers, this exhibit illustrates how those who lived in a natural world harvested what it had to offer.
