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How to Tan a Hide. Tanning a hide by the methods used by Native Americans involves four steps:
cleaning, braining, softening, and smoking. You will need A small animal hide A knife
The animal's brain A stove A pot Water A blender A brush A storage area A chair and smoke.
Step 1. Remove meat and fat from the hide by scraping it with a knife. Scrape from side
to side -- not head to tail. Use a fresh hide, preferably from an animal that has died a
natural death or been the victim of a recent accident. If you use a frozen or dried hide,
you will have to restore it to fresh condition. Step 2. Cook the animal's brain -- beef or
pork brains can also be used -- in a pot of water, then put it a blender with warm water
and mix well. In general, any small animal has enough brain to tan its own hide. Step
3. Moisten the hide until it feels like a sponge, and then apply some of the brain mixture
to the flesh side with a brush. Let the brains sit on the skin for an hour before applying
more. Step 4. Roll the hide up with the brains inside and let it sit overnight in a cool,
protected place. Step 5. Apply another coat of brains in the morning before stretching
out the hide. Step 6. Run the hide over the back of a chair to soften it until it is completely
dry. Step 7. Smoke the hide over an open fire. Smoking prevents the skin from turning hard
after getting wet and discourages insects. Did you know Native Americans used animal
brains to tan hides because the oil in the brains lubricated the fibrous structure of
the skin.