Parfleche Parfleche refers to a First Nations bag made of rawhide, which was traditionally used for storage.

The Word Parfleche The word parfleche came from the French fur traders. In French "parer" means “to defend” or “turn away”, and "flèche" is the word for "arrow.” The parfleche received it’s name as the hide was strong enough to be used as a shield.

Parfleche The rawhide was prepared by first removing any hair from the skin, and then stretching the hide, and finally laying it out in sun. This process created a strong, yet heavy leather. A parfleche bag was made using a single piece of rawhide which was folded similar to that of an envelope.

Parfleche Not every parfleche has the envelope shape. Some were in the shape of a cylinder or a box.

What Parfleche Bags Carried Many parfleche bags were mainly used to carry dried foods, household items and clothing. Pemmican, a food made from dried meat was often carried in parfleche bags.

Pemmican Pemmican is a prime example of Aboriginal people using what was found in nature for nourishment. The word Pemmican is thought to be based on the Cree words – “pimii” meaning fat or grease and “kan” meaning prepared.

Pemmican Pemmican was easily transportable, had a high calorie count and contained proteins, vitamins and fat, making it a staple food on the fur trade. The ingredients depended largely on what was available; however, the meat was usually bison, elk, deer or moose and the berries were typically chokecherries, Saskatoon berries, currents, or blueberries.

Symmetry on Parfleche Bags Parfleche bags usually had geometrical shapes which were symmetrically designed on the bags. There are records which indicate that the original bags had graphics which symbolized maps and included pictorial records of the surrounding land.

Symmetry on a Parfleche Bag

Design and Colors on a Parfleche Bag The art style seen on many parfleche designs is typical of the Plains Nations as it tends to include geometric, symmetrical and angular designs. Typically no more than four colors were used in these art designs (i.e. green, red, yellow and black). Colors were made from natural items such as plant material or minerals.

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