Winnipegosis museum & historical society
Men's Moccasins
Métis/Ininiwak/Nehethowuk/Nîhithaw Central Manitoba (Westbourne / southern Lake Manitoba region) Smoked moose hide, bleached caribou hide, silk thread. 1890-1910 This style of pointed-toe moccasin was common among many nations. Floral designs embroidered with a combination of buttonhole and satin stitches were also shared widely in the late 1800s. The delicate stitching around the vamps was accentuated with rows of colourful wrapped silk piping. A note in the museum's original records states:
Were probably made by [an Indigenous artist] around Westbourne, MB. Belonged to Mrs. Peter McArthur, who moved here in to live about 1901. The slippers were worn by her. Have been washed many times. Mrs. McArthur was the mother of Edna Medd, a former Curator of the Winnipegosis Museum. |