Native American Moccasins by Indigenous Artisans

• Posted on 5 May 2024
• 0

‘Moccasin’ is an Indigenous term for footwear.  It’s a great time to get cozy in indoor or outdoor footwear made by hand from natural leathers and furs.  All our footwear is made in Canada by Indigenous artisans.  

All of the Moccasins for men and women on Cheryl’s Trading Post are 100% Indigenous made in Canada. See our full selection of Moccasins at Cheryl’s Trading Post!

 

The moccasins pictured above are made from moosehide.  They have a thick foam insole stitched between two layers of moose leather on the soles making for extreme comfort. These indigenous slippers are very durable and will last for years.   There are three colours to choose from - maple tan, light tan and black.

We carry moccasins made in Eastern Canada, produced in a small Indigenous shop from commercially tanned deer, moose, sheep, and cowhide.  They make comfortable, long lasting slippers, as well as shoes with outdoor soles.

We also have specialty moccasins handmade and beaded at home by Indigenous artists, from home-tanned moosehide. Native hide tanning is a long, laborious and difficult job, but the result is a product of the highest quality.

Native tanning  

The first step to creating moosehide moccasins is to hunt, kill, gut and skin a moose, and cut up and preserve the meat.

Next, the hide is immersed in a fast-flowing cold stream and weighed down with heavy stones. After three days, the hide (it may weigh over 100 lbs) is draped over a large log where the meat and hair is scraped off. When that's completed, the hide is soaked overnight then stretched tightly on a frame to dry for a few days. 

(The photo above features our Traditional Moosehide Moccasins. These slippers takes dozens of hours to smoke and cut the moosehide and then hand bead the intricate design. The slipper is then accented with traditionally trapped fur.)

Next in the tanning process, a solution of the animal's brains mixed with warm water is prepared, then worked into both sides of the hide over and over while the hide is being further scraped and massaged to make it soft and pliable. The final step is to hang the hide on conical frame and smoke both sides with coals of rotten wood for a day to colour and waterproof it.

This description is very simplified. It's more than a week of hard work for two people to tan a moosehide!  Then the pieces of hide are cut and beaded, then sewn together and lined with fur.

Questions about our moccasin products, or want to place a custom order? We'd love to hear from you, and tell you more about the indigenous craftsman we work with. Contact us by email at: [email protected] or call us: 1-778-886-5090.