diff --git a/python/pyarrow/interchange/from_dataframe.py b/python/pyarrow/interchange/from_dataframe.py
index 1d41aa8d7ee..d653054e910 100644
--- a/python/pyarrow/interchange/from_dataframe.py
+++ b/python/pyarrow/interchange/from_dataframe.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 
 from typing import (
     Any,
+    Tuple,
 )
 
 from pyarrow.interchange.column import (
@@ -204,7 +205,9 @@ def column_to_array(
     pa.Array
     """
     buffers = col.get_buffers()
-    data = buffers_to_array(buffers, col.size(),
+    data_type = col.dtype
+    data = buffers_to_array(buffers, data_type,
+                            col.size(),
                             col.describe_null,
                             col.offset,
                             allow_copy)
@@ -236,7 +239,9 @@ def bool_column_to_array(
         )
 
     buffers = col.get_buffers()
-    data = buffers_to_array(buffers, col.size(),
+    data_type = col.dtype
+    data = buffers_to_array(buffers, data_type,
+                            col.size(),
                             col.describe_null,
                             col.offset)
     data = pc.cast(data, pa.bool_())
@@ -274,11 +279,15 @@ def categorical_column_to_dictionary(
         raise NotImplementedError(
             "Non-dictionary categoricals not supported yet")
 
+    # We need to first convert the dictionary column
     cat_column = categorical["categories"]
     dictionary = column_to_array(cat_column)
-
+    # Then we need to convert the indices
+    # Here we need to use the buffer data type!
     buffers = col.get_buffers()
-    indices = buffers_to_array(buffers, col.size(),
+    _, data_type = buffers["data"]
+    indices = buffers_to_array(buffers, data_type,
+                               col.size(),
                                col.describe_null,
                                col.offset)
 
@@ -326,6 +335,7 @@ def map_date_type(data_type):
 
 def buffers_to_array(
     buffers: ColumnBuffers,
+    data_type: Tuple[DtypeKind, int, str, str],
     length: int,
     describe_null: ColumnNullType,
     offset: int = 0,
@@ -339,6 +349,9 @@ def buffers_to_array(
     buffer : ColumnBuffers
         Dictionary containing tuples of underlying buffers and
         their associated dtype.
+    data_type : Tuple[DtypeKind, int, str, str],
+        Dtype description of the column as a tuple ``(kind, bit-width, format string,
+        endianness)``.
     length : int
         The number of values in the array.
     describe_null: ColumnNullType
@@ -360,7 +373,7 @@ def buffers_to_array(
     is responsible for keeping the memory owner object alive as long as
     the returned PyArrow array is being used.
     """
-    data_buff, data_type = buffers["data"]
+    data_buff, _ = buffers["data"]
     try:
         validity_buff, validity_dtype = buffers["validity"]
     except TypeError: