Home

Native American Heritage Month Online Collections Guide

Moccasins with Beaded Floral Design, Native American; Blackfeet
Moccasins with Beaded Floral Designs, Native American; Blackfeet, late 19th century – early 20th century, leather, glass, cotton string.

Look

Look closely at Moccasins with Beaded Floral Designs created by someone from the Blackfeet tribe.

• What materials do you think the moccasins are made of?
• How many different colors can you find?
• What designs and patterns do you see?

Discuss

Every tribe has their own style of making moccasins and the work of each moccasin creator reflects the maker’s individuality and location across the United States. Check out these Beaded Leather Moccasins with Geometric Designs from the Sioux Tribe.

Beaded leather moccasins with geometric designs / Native American; Sioux
Beaded leather moccasins with geometric designs, Native American; Sioux, circa 1890 – 1900, leather, rawhide, glass, cotton cloth, cotton string.

In what ways do they appear similar to Moccasins with Beaded Floral Designs from the Blackfeet Tribe?
How are they different?
How might it feel to walk in each pair?
If you could touch the leather and the beads, what would their textures be like?

Imagine

Imagine that a pair of shoes you own ends up in a museum 100 years from now. What might museum visitors in the next century assume about you, your culture and the time and place you live from looking at the shoes? What would you like them to know?

Create

Decorate your own moccasins using this guide. Think about the weather where you live, the colors you see around you or like and designs that mean something to you.

Moccasins with Beaded Floral Design, Native American; Blackfeet
Moccasins with Beaded Floral Designs, Native American; Blackfeet, late 19th century – early 20th century, leather, glass, cotton string.

Observe:

Observe de cerca los mocasines con abalorios y diseños florales de la tribu Blackfeet.

• ¿De qué materiales crees que están hechos los mocasines?
• ¿Cuántos colores diferentes puedes encontrar?
• ¿Qué diseños y patrones ves?

Discutir

Cada tribu tiene su propio estilo de fabricación de mocasines y el trabajo de cada creador de mocasines refleja la individualidad y la ubicación del fabricante en los Estados Unidos. Observe estos mocasines de cuero con piedras o abalorios con diseños geométricos de la tribu Sioux.

Beaded leather moccasins with geometric designs / Native American; Sioux
Beaded leather moccasins with geometric designs, Native American; Sioux, circa 1890 – 1900, leather, rawhide, glass, cotton cloth, cotton string.

¿En qué se parecen los mocasines con diseños florales y abalorios a los de la tribu Blackfeet?
¿En qué se diferencian?
¿Cómo se sentiría caminar en uno de estos pares?
Si pudieras tocar el cuero y los abalorios/piedras ¿cómo serían sus texturas?

Imagine

Imaginese que un par de zapatos suyos terminaran dentro de un museo por 100 años.
¿Qué podrían asumir los visitantes de el museo en el próximo siglo sobre usted, probablemente su cultura, la época y el lugar en el que vivio al mirar los zapatos?
¿Qué le gustaría que supieran?

Crear

Decora tus propios mocasines usando esta guía. Piense en el clima donde vive, los colores que ve a su alrededor o los diseños que significan algo para usted.