Art in Everyday Life

by Christine K.

I was really excited to see the temporary exhibit Art in Daily Life in the Historical Museum. I enjoyed seeing how much effort went into making the every day items of Native Americans. While reading through most of the information on the materials what really caught my eye was the moccasins. Most people know what they are, and can relate them back to the Native Americans, but what I did not realize was that they served a much greater purpose in the way of life of the Native Americans than I originally thought. Native Americans played a big role in Iowa’s history. Several different nations occupied the area for many years before the European settlers arrived. Some of the major nations were the Chippewa, Potawatomi, Otto, Dakota, Sauk, and Fox (Iowa Indian Tribes).

After a little research I discovered that moccasins were the one constant throughout all Native American nations, but they were all different (History of Moccasins). One of the information cards in the display mentioned that Native Americans wore different moccasins for ceremonies than they did for everyday use. Moccasins for special occasions were heavily decorated with several beads of different colors, porcupine quills, and feathers. The women traditionally made the moccasins but the men would carry tools with them to repair the shoes if needed. Several rites of passage were shown with moccasins; such as a young Pawnee Indian would be allowed to wear black moccasins after he killed a buffalo. Menomiee parents would give their new born babies moccasins with holes in the bottom to keep spirits away that would try to take the baby into the Otherworld, and the Mexican Kickapoo were doing this until the 1970’s. One way Native Americans could tell which tribe someone else belonged to was by their moccasins. Even some major nations like the Blackfoot and Chippewa were named after their unique moccasin styles (Charles 14-16).

Moccasins became part of American fashion in the 1920’s for men women and children. Believe it or not, moccasins still influence our culture today. The loafer design was inspired by the Native American moccasin. In fact, it is literally just a slip on version of a moccasin. It is desired as the loafer design because it is one piece of leather wrapped around the foot and sewn together. Since it is one piece then it allows the loafer to be customized to each individual and only gets more comfortable with time (Charles, 14-16).

The moccasin has been around for many years, and is a lasting sign of just one of the many influences the Native American culture has had on our present day culture. It will be interesting to see if this simple shoe continues to stick around for years to come.

Works Cited:

Cutler,Charles, Legacy of Native American Words in North American Culture: Tracks that Speak (Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company), 14-16.

Iowa Indian Tribes http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/iowa/index.htm.

History of Moccasins http://www.marieshoes.com/site/1645168/page/766719 (2006).