Materials

Home-tanned moose or deer hide, velvet, silk ribbon, silk embroidery thread, moose or horse hair trim wrapped in cotton thread, cotton print material, cotton thread, glass seed beads.

Techniques or Format

Moccasins are constructed with a pointed toe and centre front seam, puckered around the velvet/velveteen vamp. The moccasins have attached cuffs and T-backed heel seams.

Motifs and Patterns

The moccasins are beaded with floral motifs, each vamp has a singular four petal red flower and red bud with a silver stem and green leaf. Each cuff is also decorated with red floral designs on a silver stem with green leaves.

Dimensions: 22.5 × 13 × 0 cm

Condition: Fair. The silk ribbon edging around the vamp and cuff has disintegrated to a few threads and it fragile. The beadwork is intact, hide if worn from use but stable.

Reasons for connecting this relative with particular times, materials, styles and uses

Research undertaken by former NCCT staff member indicates the moccasins are early to mid 20th century because of rose white-lined seed beads and greasy green coloured beads which led her to the early 20th century attribution. These moccasins are also similar to a pair (1/6937) in the National Museum of the American Indian's collection which are dated circa 1890.

Current Location: Native Canadian Centre of Toronto

Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: 2002.1.13-1-2

Date of Acquisition by the Institution: 2002

Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: Unknown

Collection Narratives and Histories

The provenance of these moccasins is unknown. They were accessioned and catalogued into the NCCT's collection in 2002 by Monica Bodirsky but there is not record as to how they came to the NCCT. It is possible that they were part of a large donation to the NCCT from the Anglican Church Women in 1976, however these moccasins and 2002.1.14-1-2 do not have the ACW tags attached that the rest of the donation does.

Related language items in the GKS: mkizin

GKS Reference Number: 27348

How to Cite this Item

Unknown Anishinaabe artist, moccasins. Currently at the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto, 2002.1.13-1-2. Information obtained from conversations with former History Project coordinator June Allison and from Monica Bodirsky's handwritten notes, NCCT Archive; GRASAC item id 27348.

Record Creation Context

The information found in these records was generated as a part of a research project entitled Memory, Meaning-making and Collections in which Anishinaabe and Cree seniors engaged in handling sessions with objects in the collection of the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto. As a research partnership between the University of Toronto and the NCCT, these sessions were audio-recorded and transcribed. Additional information was collected through archival, secondary and comparative research methods. An archive of the project is stored with First Story Toronto at the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto. For more information on archived interviews or archival material please contact Dr. Cara Krmpotich.