Tribe's tannery up and running

NIOBRARA, Neb. — The Ponca Tribe has undertaken a new business venture on its land near here.

But is really a continuation of a tribal custom that has been passed down for hundreds of years.

The Ponca Tribe Tannery, which had a ribbon cutting in January, employs eight tanners. Managing the business is Kevin Schrader, a former Omahan who was looking to make a move.

He was searching the Kansas City area when he saw a posting in June for a manager of a manufacturing business in northeast Nebraska.

“The posting intrigued me and I decided to look into it,” Schrader said. “I love it up here now.”

He interviewed in July and was there when the tribe broke ground in September. The building was up and the equipment was moved in December.

“This job has pushed me to do some deep thinking in order to make it work,” Schrader said. “I do sales and marketing, but I also worked side-by-side with the tribal employees getting the manufacturing process set up.”Thanks to the generosity of the Shakopee Tribe, the Ponca Tribe got a grant to cover the cost of the building and equipment.

“We are very grateful to the Shakopee Tribe for the financial gift that will help ensure a future for tribal members by getting this business off the ground,” said Schrader. “It's another step toward self-sufficiency for the Ponca Tribe.”

The Shakopee Tribe operates Mystic Lake Hotel and Casino in Minnesota.

The equipment for stretching the hides to be tanned is fairly simple — frames made of 2-by-4s and 2-by-8s. The hides are stretched across and tied with ropes on all four sides.

Sixty hides have already come in to be tanned, and the goal is to do 340 this year.

Most of the hides are from elk, deer and buffalo. By April, the tanners hope to be able to accept beefallo and cattle hides.

The process includes custom brain tanning, which is another tribal custom handed down from tribal elders and important to the tanners.

No chemicals used. The brain material is boiled down and rubbed into the hides to make a much softer finished product. A hide can be processed in two weeks.

The hides brought into the tannery now are predominantly from animals killed by hunters. Some hides come from local butcher shops.

The hides must be salted down to be in the best shape to begin tanning. The hides are then soaked and washed. It takes two to hang the hide to a frame so it can dry out before the tanners begin the fleshing process.

Any flesh needs to be scraped away from the hide before work begins on the hair. It must be combed and shaped to a uniform length.

The tannery supervisor is tribe member Pat Wright. He has been a master tanner for 20 years. He often sees designs in the hides he works on.

One hide held a vision of a wolf howling at a full moon for him. As he trimmed and brushed, the image stood out.

After he worked with the color variations and nap of the fur, the vision in his mind came to life.

Wright said he is pleased to be working with his son, Steven Hoffman, and grandson, Rico Four Kitten, in thisventure.

For the tribe, working with three generations demonstrates the commitment to keeping the tribal life and customs alive to be passed on to future generations.

“I have been doing tanning from my home and roofing and siding as a full-time job to support my family,” Wright said. “This gives me an opportunity to make money doing what I am trained to do and pass the tradition on to the next generations.”

The idea for the business was generated by an economic development corporation formed by the Ponca Tribe called PEDCO.

“This organization started this business, creating jobs for members of our community and gives the tribe a chance to be profitable,” Wright said.

One of the hides being worked on will be hung in the Great Platte River Archway in Kearney. Others will be sold.

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