The rendering of hides into leather is still a valuable skill that has not completely disappeared from traditional Native culture. The concept of tanning hides is simple. You must convert the raw hide into leather which then can be used as a fabric for everyday living needs such as garments and accessories, bags and utility items, or simply cut into strips for straps and ties.

The term "tanning" refers to the concept of infusing the animal hide with the preservative "tannic acid" which prevents the skin from rotting. There are several ways of tanning a hide, but the most common method, historically, for the woodland tribes was "brain tanning". There is tannic acid, as well as oils and conditioners, in the brain that will transform a raw piece of animal hide into a supple garment grade fabric leather.

The hide is removed from the carcass and then laced to a rigid frame. The hair and dermis is scraped from the out layer of skin, and the fatty sub tissue is scraped from the underside. A scraping tool, called a scraper is used for this work.

Once the hide has been scraped clean, it is then time to apply the brains. A rul of thumb is that each mammal has enough brains to tan its own hide. The brains are mashed into a paste and smeared into the hide until it is thoroughly coated with the mixture.

A buffing stick is used to smooth out the surface of the hid as well as stretch it; the stick has a large bulbous end that will not puncture or tear the skin.

At this stage, the hide should be milk white and satin smooth. After the buffing of the hide is finished and the hide is thoroughly stretched, the last step in the tanning process is the smoking of the hide, which will turn the skin a golden brown color with a rich smoky aroma. The smoke is important for a number of reasons, but one major reason is that by smoking the skin, it is cured and will then remain supple and pliant even after getting wet. Also, smoke will help seal the braining process, and will ensure a well preserved hide.