Bodewash.com is an independent educational project about a rare frontier word and its environmental history.
Scope
The site covers language, prairie fuels, trails, homesteads, bison ecology, Indigenous knowledge, global comparisons, and source research.
Safety
The site documents historical practice and does not recommend indoor dung burning.
Frequently asked questions
What does bodewash mean?
Dried buffalo or cow dung used as fuel.
Is it the same as buffalo chips?
The terms can overlap, though buffalo chips is more familiar.
Where did the word come from?
It developed from American French bois de vache.
Why did people burn dung?
Because wood was scarce or costly to transport.
Did only settlers use it?
No. Indigenous and pastoral communities had longstanding fuel knowledge.
Is indoor burning safe?
Solid-fuel smoke can harm health; this site documents history rather than recommending use.