Featured Native American childs moccasins

Hiya all,

Anyone have an idea of the tribal affiliation?

Thanks Steve

 

I don't recognize the beads.....the color of the beads , or the design...
they look dark and thick enuf to be moose...

 

They are only about 6" long, thin buckskin.

 

they don't look thin in the photos...imo ......... but I believe you..

 

It is difficult to see the scale, but are the beads bigger than typical seed beads?
I would like to see more details of the construction. Is the sole a separate piece, sewn on all around, or is it one piece of leather folded over to form the top and sole? May we see any stitching on the heels?

 

In style, they look similar to a pair I have from the Shoshone-Bannock Tribe at Fort Hall, Idaho. That doesn't mean a lot though, as there is a lot of exchange between tribes in the modern era.
The biggest difference is color. I would expect light to medium brown (smoked brain tan) instead of the grey of yours (is the photo true the actual color?).

 

One more question about construction - is there a seam hidden under the beadwork down the middle of the vamp?

 

Here are some updated photos

 

beads sewn into the leather with no vamps I can see..

 

The closest comparisons I can find for the construction (soft sole, one piece folded over, round toe, oval tongue inset with little to no gathering/puckering) are from the Plateau area (Idaho/Montana/Alberta), as @smallaxe suggested.

But the beadwork seems atypical. After searching the online collections at the National Museum of the American Indian and the Royal Ontario Museum, I have not seen that color combination on another example. It is also uncommon to see the beads applied one at a time (as it appears) rather than strung and couched, or in short strands using the technique known as "lazy stitch". It is also less common to see the beads laid parallel to the outside edge of the moccasin, rather than in lazy stitch rows perpendicular to the edge such as on these Blackfoot moccasins -


https://collections.rom.on.ca/objec...=1f5c9f49-d3fc-450f-9558-b1eb4bb03849&idx=110

I did find a few examples of moccasins with the parallel arrangement along the edge attributed to the Plains Cree and Western Woods Cree -

https://collections.rom.on.ca/objec...tx=0d6738d4-e35b-4b7c-9db8-75c620735076&idx=6


https://americanindian.si.edu/collections-search/object/NMAI_160272

(Note the construction is not the same on this last example, however.)

And these from the Beaver/Dene of northern Alberta (again with somewhat different construction) -

https://collections.rom.on.ca/objec...x=bd0610ee-61b6-4c80-a429-9ca1fa34a3b3&idx=39

I have seen native tanned leather this color. It may have been originally white (unsmoked), just with years of accumulated dust and dirt.

 

I have never thought about moccasins in detail before. But it is some interesting stuff. Thanks for the great info.

 

Agree.

Debora

 

Wow thanks a bunch, that is some stellar information. I bought them because they were simple and inexpensive. They look as if they were native worn so always a good buy.

 

@2manybooks - interesting points. I think you are right about the grey color. I have an old bag that was white when new, but dust and handling have turned it greyish. Pointing out the beading technique (not the common lazy stitch) is a good observation.
For comparison, and to see if my memory was correct about the pair I have from Ft. Hall, I located the moccasins and here are some photos that show how their design is similar and how it's different. Two key differences are the tongue being straight where it attaches (and that is how other Shoshone moccasins I've seen are) instead of curved, and the flap at the ankle being an attached piece (other Shoshone examples are one piece). Note though, that these are a man's size, and @Sdcookie2 has child size. These have less bead-work than most of the Ft. Hall work you'll see. I bought these new in 1982 at Ft. Hall while living there for a winter. I was very poor at the time, so I got the least expensive pair, which was the pair with the least bead-work.

 

A nice pair, particularly when you have their specific history.

Moccasins have been one of the most tribe-specific items of traditional clothing. They continued to be made and worn after other items of western dress had been adopted.

I remain puzzled by the combination of features in @Sdcookie2 's pair, and frustrated that I could not find a more definitive answer to their origin.