LCPD hosts Buckskin Gloves & Gauntlet Class for Native American Heritage Month
Tribal member Lyman Dixey traces glove patterns on a hide.
By YVONNE WARJACK
Sho-Ban News
FORT HALL — On Saturday, November 22, tribal members gathered at the Sho-Ban Jr./Sr. High School cafeteria for the Buckskin Gloves & Gauntlet Class, a hands-on cultural workshop hosted by the Shoshone-Bannock Language & Culture Preservation Department.
The class was taught by instructor Sonya Wadsworth and the rest of the Language & Culture Preservation Department such as Louise Dixey, who guided participants through each step of crafting traditional gloves and gauntlets.
LCPD instructor Sonya Wadsworth demonstrates at the buckskin glove class.
The workshop began at 9 a.m., as participants arrived carrying their own supplies, including tanned or white buckskin hides, size 9 Glovers needles, buckskin thimbles, scissors, size E thread, and wax. Some attendees brought personal glove patterns to use during the class. In total, 26 participants took part in the session, prepared to learn sewing techniques passed through generations.
Tribal member Elma Thompson shows her finished buckskin glove.
Tables were set with buckskin, patterns, tools, and thread as Wadsworth demonstrated how to trace glove outlines and safely cut hide pieces to create a proper fit. Participants followed each step, cutting out glove fingers, thumb pieces, and gauntlet cuffs before learning how to stitch them together. Throughout the class, students practiced traditional sewing techniques designed to work with hide, using the gloves needles to piece the buckskin and applying wax to strengthen thread.
By midday, the cafeteria was busy with cutting and sewing as participants tested the fit of the work and continued stitching glove seams by hand. With guidance from the instructor, attendees learned how to secure seams, shape fingers, and prepare pieces for finishing touches that would allow the gloves and gauntlets to withstand regular use. The class concluded at 2 p.m., with participants carrying home their in-progress or completed pieces to continue practicing the techniques on their own.
Close view of a participant sewing buckskin gloves.
The Buckskin Gloves & Gauntlet Class was offered exclusively to Shoshone Bannock Tribal members as part of ongoing cultural preservation efforts led by the Language & Culture Preservation Department, strengthening traditional knowledge through hands-on learning.
