Let's talk about rawhide. Any animal hide (but mainly deer, bison, moose, etc.) that is fleshed and dehaired, then left to dry. Very useful item, strong tough and shrinks when wet.

Here are a few interesting tidbits:

From Catlin, talking about the Mandan version of the sun dance:
There were seen also, in this stage of the affair,
a number of cords of rawhide hanging down from the top of the lodge, and passing through its
roof, with which the young men were to be suspended by the splints passed through their flesh,
and drawn up by men placed on the top of the lodge for the purpose

From Catlin talking about quirts (whips):
They are all cruel masters for their horses; and in war or the chase goad them on with
a heavy and cruel whip, the handle of which is generally made of a large prong of the elk’s horn
or of wood, mid the lashes of rawhide are very heavy; being braided, or twisted, or cut into wide
straps. These are invariably attached to the wrist of the right arm by a tough thong, that they can
be taken up and used at any moment, and dropped the next, without being lost.

From Catlin, talking about instruments:
I made sketches today of the rattles (or She-she-quois) most generally used, made of rawhide,
which becomes very hard when dry, and charged with Pebbles or something of the kind, which
produce a shrill noise to mark the time in their dances and songs. Their drums (letters e, e,) are
made in a very rude manner, oftentimes with a mere piece of rawhide stretched over a hoop, very
much in the shape of a tambourine ; and at other times are made in the form of a keg, with a head
of rawhide at each end;. on these they beat with a drum-stick, which oftentimes itself is a rattle,
the bulb or head of it being made of rawhide and filled with pebbles.

From Catlin, about lasso's:
The lasso is a long thong of rawhide, of
ten or fifteen yards in length, made of several braids or twists, and used chiefly to catch the wild
horse, which is done by throwing over their necks a noose which is made at the end of the lasso,
with which they are’’ choked down.” In running the buffaloes, or in time of war, the lasso drags on
the ground at the horse’s feet, and sometimes several rods behind, so that if a man is dismounted,
which is often the case, by the tripping or stumbling of the horse, he has the power of grasping to
the lasso, and by stubbornly holding on to it, of stopping and securing his horse, on whose back
he is instantly replaced, and continuing on in the chase.

From Larpenteur, starving times:
We had not a thing to eat
and were mighty hungry. I thought of trying rawhide cords, of which we had a few bundles left. I
got a squaw to cut them up fine and boil them; besides which, as a great favor, I got an Indian dog
killed and boiled. That I knew would be good; and as I could not obtain more than one dog, the
cords, if the cooking proved successful, would help to fill up. I am sorry to say that I was defeated
there, for the longer they boiled the harder they got, and they could not be brought into condition
to swallow. So there was only the dog for supper.

From Ruxton:
A small supply of meat was “made” (i. e. cut into thin
flaps and dried in the sun), to last until we reached the buffalo-range; rifles put in order, and balls
run; hobbles cut out of rawhide, parfleche moccasins cobbled up, deerskin hunting-shirts and
pantaloons patched, and all our very primitive “kit” overhauled to render it serviceable for the
journey across the grand prairies, while the “possible-sack” was lightened of all superfluities -- an
easy task by the way.

Mandan Okipa ceremony (sun dance) by Catlin

Very interesting stuff. Rawhide sure was a versatile material with many uses.

thanks, an interesting read,