Tribes
Looking at a moccasins’ general form can give clues as to what tribe it is from. The tribes listed are just a few examples.
- Menominee (Mamaceqtaw [ma-ma-chay-tau] as referred to by themselves)
- Ojibwe (Anishinaabe as referred to by themselves)
- Ho-Chunk (Ho-chungra as referred to by themselves)
- Potawatomi (Nishnabek as referred to by themselves)
- Oneida (Oneyoteaka as referred to by themselves)
Moccasins from the Menominee (Mamaceqtaw) usually have a broad vamp fitted to the body of the shoe with a line of very tiny puckers all around it, along with little heel tags for pulling a shoe off and strings attached to the ankle flap for tying on.
Moccasins from the Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) usually have a central seam on the toe with a small vamp surrounded by tiny puckers clustered on either side of the seam. Children had a different style among the Ojibwe: the Ojibwe “partridge” moccasin. These moccasins were made in one piece with a straight puckered seam across the toe and a tiny fringe down the center seam.
Moccasins from the Ho-Chunk (Ho-chungra) had no vamp, but there was a central seam down the front of the shoe. Historically, men and women had slightly different styles of moccasins in the Ho-Chunk; women’s had a single large wrap-around ankle flap, while men’s had two cuffs, one on either side.
Moccasins from the Potawatomi (Nishnabek) had a single broad flap around the whole shoe with no vamp. They have a center seam, though more smooth than puckered.
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