Hide Tanning Workshop, 4-Days

WORKSHOP OVERVIEW

In this 4-day workshop, students will move through an age old process to turn raw deer hides into wonderfully soft buckskin (aka suede leather). We will use a process called combo tanning to preserve the hides, which includes elements of bark tanning and brain tanning. Students will learn the physical process while developing an understanding of what is happening inside the most sustainable fabric on earth as you facilitate one of the most amazing transformations of an organic material to something you will have forever. 

You can keep these whole as a sacred item, or use it to make bags, shoes, clothing, and more. All materials and tools are provided for this class. Please note this will be a physically demanding class, can be quite messy, and we will be working long days. But the reward is well worth it!

This workshop is co-lead by Ryan “Possum” MacLeod and Morgan Siem.

Why learn hide tanning?

I (Morgan) got into hide tanning for myriad reasons. It is a sacred practice to me, connecting me to the land around me, the practices of ancient humans, the realities of life and death, alchemy, community, my own physicality, and the tactile pleasures of buckskin. This workshop is an opportunity to dive into an immersive experience for four days—working the deer hide, sourcing bark tannings, tending fires, cooking in the open air, sleeping under the stars, tasking the wild foods of this land, sharing stories, sitting by the creek, and whatever magic arises with this group.

I also got into hide tanning because I was tired of feeling helpless and hopeless about sourcing ethical and sustainable products. I was overwhelmed by the reality that most products I could access were: wrapped in plastic, shipped with petroleum, produced with toxic chemicals, and on and on. Even when I tried to stick with “natural” (or even “organic”) materials, I found that there were layers upon layers of detrimental choices made in the manufacturing, shipping and marketing of those materials. I needed to find a way back to the basics. To real sustainability. To local, community-centric, non-toxic, hands-on, artisan craft. Hide tanning gifted me a connection back to source.

Instructor: Ryan MacLeod

Ryan “Possum” MacLeod is an endless explorer of just about anything he’s curious about. Ryan is a couples therapist, a performing musician, and an avid earth skills enthusiast, weaving ancestral practices into his life and work. Be it hide tanning, friction fire, plant medicine, or bow building, he considers all of these practices as both a way to forge a forever connection to the earth and as a doorway to healing our relationships with self and others.

As a student of Luke McLaughlin’s Deep Remembering Wilderness Immersion program, Ryan made his first contact with tanning animal hides. Describing it as “participating in genuine alchemy,” he has since deepened his study of the practice with Matt Richards of Traditional Tanners and author of Deerskins Into Buckskins. Ryan takes pride in being the “neighborhood weirdo” who is processing animal skins in the backyard next to his kids’ playset, but the biggest joy is passing the these gifts to others as a way to build community.

Ryan lives in Winston-Salem with his wife, two children, and their cat.

FAQs

Schedule

Thursday

Arrive 9am, ready to begin! Day 1: Fleshing the hide. This is messy work, so please dress accordingly.
Midday break
Evening Meal, provided
Optional overnight camping

Friday

8am Breakfast, provided.
9am Program begins. Day 2: Tanning the hide.
Midday break
Evening meal, provided
Optional overnight camping

Saturday

8am Breakfast, provided
9am Program begins. Day 3: Softening the hide.
Midday break
Evening meal, provided
Optional overnight camping

Sunday

8am Breakfast, provided
9am Program begins. Day 4: Stretching the hide.
Midday break
3pm Guests arrive for Live Music on the Lawn
4pm Live Music on the Lawn, featuring LVDY (free for workshop participants)
Optional overnight camping (for workshop participants only)