Cherokee Moccasins

The word moccasin was originally an Algonquian term meaning “to be gathered” but is now used to describe a type of shoe in which the soft sole and upper are continuous. It was this type of footwear which early European explorers first commented on and collected as they encountered the First Nations peoples of the Eastern Woodlands and Great Lakes regions in North America. This pair of beautifully beaded moccasins has been identified as Cherokee. This dark colour of the deerskin could be achieved by using the oxidized pulp of walnuts and provided a perfect background for colorful beadwork.