he following excerpt originally
appeared in the Winter 2021
edition of Museum of the Fur
Trade Quarterly, a publication
based in Chadron, Nebraska.
Because of our reverence for Nebraska
history, this quarterly publication
has been a mainstay for the editors of
Nebraskaland Magazine for many years.
There is no doubt that early
Native Americans were ingenious in
developing earths and other natural
products as pigments for face painting
and artwork. However, the preparation
of those colorants was often a slow
process. At certain times of the year or
in certain locations, it was impossible
to fi nd appropriate materials. Most
of the natural pigments were rather
muted and included shades and tints
of dull red, tan and brown. For these
reasons, native people came to rely on
a steady supply of brilliant colors from
their traders.
For example, before receiving
vermilion, Native Americans had used
native red ochre, but it did not compare
T
46 Nebraskaland • October 2022
By Dr. James A. Hanson, Historian, Museum of the Fur Trade
Pigments of the
Fur Trade
A mid-18th century vermilion keg would have held about 100 pounds. The keg is 12 inches tall and 11 inches in diameter. It is
painted yellow; many French fur trade kegs were brightly painted, perhaps to enable employees to recognize trade goods from
Quebec. PHOTOS COURTESY MUSEUM OF THE FUR TRADE
