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Cultural Uses

Historically, Plains tribes used natural dyes for many aesthetic pursuits. Paint may be applied to the surface of a design element, however, when a material is soaked in a dye the color is chemically bound to the material. One cultural use of the buffalo berry is the dyeing of porcupine quills to embellish items such as clothing, basketry, and cradleboards.

Quillwork is time and labor intensive. Porcupine quills must first be gathered, cleaned and prepared for dyeing. Historically, to collect quills, an individual would throw a blanket over a live porcupine. In defense it would raise its quills and they would become caught in the fibers of the blanket. The blanket was then removed and the quills were retrieved. Quills must be cleaned in a soapy bath and natural plant dyes are then prepared for desired color. To attain red quills the berries from the buffalo-berry shrub are crushed and soaked in water. To deepen the color, female dock root is added to the solution as a mordant. Once cleaned, quills may be placed in a vessel with the dye and mordant and allowed to simmer on a low setting for ½ to 3 hours. To prevent quills from dissolving into glue this solution must not come to a boil. The quills may then be strained from the dye. To preserve their color and flexibility they may be treated with animal fats.