Canadian Huron Nation Shoes: "Moccasins"

These mocassins are made from moose hide, and lined with rabbit fur.

Moccasins were the characteristic footwear of the First Nations. The moccasin is a shoe in which the soft sole and the upper are one continuous piece of material. Huron moccasins are a two piece construction, with an apron (vamp) inserted at the top of the foot. The flexibility of these soft-soled shoes enabled people to move quietly across the land, to step into a birch bark canoe without damaging it and to wear snowshoes.

Bead decorations and cut-out patterns on moccasins sometimes indicated the wearer's clan or community.

Women made the moccasins and passed on their knowledge and skills from one generation to another. Moose hide would be scraped and then smoked to soften, color and waterproof it. Traditional tools were used to scrape and cut the skins effectively. Women usually decorated the apron and collar of the two-piece moccasin before sewing them together to form the shoe.

Porcupine quills, moose hair, and natural dye are the traditional materials used for decoration on moccasins and garments. After contact with European traders and settlers, the First Nations could also acquire glass beads for this purpose.
Source:
http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Ground/english/exhibition/mfn/emdfm.html