Pair of Moccasins c. 1850

Curator: Here we have a beautiful example of Nêhiyawak, or Cree, artistry dating to around 1850, entitled “Pair of Moccasins.” These gems reside right here at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Editor: What strikes me is their delicate nature, that pale buckskin looking almost translucent in places. There’s something incredibly vulnerable about shoes, about tracing the steps of someone else, and these look particularly intimate. Curator: It’s interesting you say that. Shoes are powerful objects. Footwear choices echo cultural journeys. It goes to say the embellishments offer up a look into lived experience. The careful beadwork – the floral motifs, the central rosette – feel like prayers stitched into form, a harmonious existence of spirit and world. Editor: Precisely. The rosettes, often signifying stars, heavens, or directions—could be guides or protectors, offering that same level of sacred direction on the journeys these moccasins aided. Each element of natural design could signify different paths, teachings, blessings. I can get a feel for the connection with the landscape, don't you think? Curator: I agree, but it can feel more personal to me than that. These were designed for a very specific set of feet! If we believe clothing is how we armor ourselves as women, this footwear must protect on both practical and metaphysical planes. You are indeed connected to nature when every step is this carefully curated. The maker's vision walks along, stride by stride. Editor: Such a poetic observation! As we’re reflecting, perhaps these beaded details express hope; it suggests forward-moving journeys rather than fixed traditions, though traditions are certainly there! A reminder of our inherent interconnectedness, stitched and laced together across time. Curator: Indeed! It has left me pondering on the human desire for safety, how cultures across millennia weave prayers and protection into what we wear on our journey. Editor: Agreed. May we walk softly and respectfully upon the Earth!