Moccasins with leggings – ushpuakanassina

Description:

Moccasins with attached, hip-length leggings consisting of moccasins constructed from a single piece of material gathered and sewn with sinew to instep piece or thong (piece sewn to heel), and a leg section made from large piece of skin sewn to moccasin and up-side. Skin thong (approx. 20″ long) split 4 has toe parts sewn to top of legging. Three small pieces of thong are passed through three sets of small holes (approx. 6″ from top). Instep of moccasins ornamented with painted red and blue floral-design. Side seam, bottom, and upper part of legging painted with red and blue geometric figures and lines. Legging is mended near top.

References:

Carole Lévesque. 1976. La culture matérielle des Indiens du Québec: une étude de raquettes, moccasins et toboggans. Canadian Ethnology Service Paper No. 33. Ottawa: National Museums of Canada. James W. VanStone. 1985. Material Culture of the Davis Inlet and Barren Ground Naskapi: the William Duncan Strong Collection. Chicago: Field Museum of Natural History. Fieldiana, Anthropology New Series No.7.

Innu Narrative:

“Ushpuakeasina – moccasins with leggings. The women made them. Some were made and decorated with beads. Mr. White provided the beads to the women. The women used to sell their moccasins to Mr. White. Lots of women would make them. Our old grandma, Mary Jane, would make them, and another old grandma who we know as Mananiss used to make them. They would make this type of moccasin, and would sell them to Mr. White. And buy some more [material] to make other crafts.” Pinashue Benuen

“Kuekuakueunuani (ankle wrap). Kuekuakueunutshi massin (ankle wrap moccasins) is the name. I wonder what these are called? These are called kantutikuantshi (caribou hunting boot or moccasin), the ones with one piece. I heard that this kind of painted moccasins existed in the past, and that people painted, and designed artwork on clothing. They would make red paint called unaman. Yes, uekuakueuna (ankle wrap moccasins). These, you just slip on, and mitash (leggings) are the ones that don’t sew on together with moccasins. Yes, these are called pishakassin (moccasins). We were very poor. I can’t remember wearing shoes on my feet in the summer. We didn’t have blankets. We made moccasins with caribou hide and we used caribou hide for blankets to keep warm.” Munik (Gregoire) Rich

Other Info:

Carole Lévesque (1976:41) has suggested an arbitrary three-way classification of moccasins – simple (covering the foot only), ankle (attached to the ankle with a lace), and knee (covering the leg and attached below the knee). According to Lévesque, “le mocassin plissé (la partie autour de l’empeigne est froncé, l’empeigne étant cette section du mocassin qui compose le dessus du pied, habituellement décoré et cousu après que le reste du mocassin soit assemble) est le plus répandu sur le territoire de la forêt boréale, indépendamment du fait qu’il soit simple, à la cheville ou au genou. Il nécessite, cependant, au moins deux morceaux de peau pour sa fabrication: l’empeigne et la base the pleated moccasin (the part around the vamp is gathered, the vamp being that section of the moccasin that makes up the top of the foot, usually decorated and sewn after the rest of the moccasin is assembled) is the most widespread in the boreal forest, regardless of whether it’s simple, ankle or knee-length. It does, however, require at least two pieces of skin for its manufacture: the vamp and the base).”

“Jusque vers les années 1950, 1960, la majorité des populations étudiées portait encore le mocassin toute l’année. Fait essentiellement de caribou ou d’orignal (la peau de caribou étant préférée pour sa durabilité), le mocassin était le seul genre de chaussures disponsible. Un chasseur pouvait en user dix paires dans l’année (Until the 1950s and 1960s, most of the populations studied still wore moccasins all year round. Made primarily of caribou or moose (caribou hide being preferred for its durability), the moccasin was the only type of footwear available. A hunter could wear ten pairs in a year).” (Rogers, 1967)

“Assemblés à l’aide d’une aiguille et de fil par les femmes, on les fabriquait avec ou sans rebord, garnis de broderies, de fourrure ou de franges, lacés ou non, etc..Le mocassin simple était davantage porté pendant l’été, autant par les homes, par les femmes que par les enfants. Dès l’automne on utilisait de preference les moccasins lacés, à la cheville, avec rebord de peau ou de cotton, pour assurer une meilleure protection contre le froid. L’hiver, selon le même principle, ce sont les moccasins doubles de fourrure, à la cheville ou au genou, qu l’on portait.”

“Assemblés à l’aide d’une aiguille et de fil par les femmes, on les fabriquait avec ou sans rebord, garnis de broderies, de fourrure ou de franges, lacés ou non, etc..Le mocassin simple était davantage porté pendant l’été, autant par les homes, par les femmes que par les enfants. Dès l’automne on utilisait de preference les moccasins lacés, à la cheville, avec rebord de peau ou de cotton, pour assurer une meilleure protection contre le froid. L’hiver, selon le même principle, ce sont les moccasins doubles de fourrure, à la cheville ou au genou, qu l’on portait. (Assembled with a needle and thread by women, they were made with or without edges, trimmed with embroidery, fur or bangs, laced or unlaced, etc. The simple moccasin was worn more during the summer, by men, women and children alike. From autumn onwards, moccasins laced at the ankle, with a skin or cotton edge, were preferred for better protection against the cold. In winter, following the same principle, double fur moccasins were worn at the ankle or knee…”)

“Pour créer les différents dessins, on utilisait des modèles découpés dans de l’écorce de bouleau assez mince. Avec un morceau de charbon on dessinait, sur l’empeigne à décorer, le contour du modèle choisi. Ces modèles représentaient des fleurs, des plantes ou des motifs géométriques. Tous ces dessins étaient brodés: vers le 17è, 18è siècle, avec des piquants de porc-épic et du crin d’orignal, plus tard (19è, 20è siècle) avec des perles de verre et du fil de cotton. Des cas, assez rares cependant, où le dessin était peint sur l’empeigne, ont pu être notés. (To create the various designs, patterns were cut from fairly thin birch bark. A piece of charcoal was used to draw the outline of the chosen pattern on the vamp to be decorated. These patterns represented flowers, plants or geometric motifs. All these designs were embroidered: around the 17th and 18th centuries, with porcupine quills and moosehair, and later (19th and 20th centuries) with glass beads and cotton thread. There have been rare cases, however, where the design was painted on the vamp.” Carole Lévesque (1976:40-43)

“The moccasins…are rarely ornamented, except with beads on the tongue or else with a strip of red, blue, or black cloth. In the construction of a moccasin the measure of the foot is taken if it is intended for a person of importance or if the maker attempts to do skillful work. The sole is cut out first in the shape of a parallelogram. The edges are turned up and creases made around that portion of the deerskin which surrounds the toes and a part of the side of the foot. The creases are made perpendicular in order to take up a portion of the slack of the skin. They are held in position by a stout sinew thread run through each one and around to the other side to prevent them from separating and thus ‘bagging’ over the toes. This is the most particular part of the work and on these stitches depend the skill of the maker. The sides of the foot and heel are not creased as the heel-seam takes up the slack for the posterior portion of the moccasin. The tongue of the moccasin is a piece cut into a shape resembling that member with the tip of it over the toes. This is sewn to the edges of the creases, and between it and the creases is often sewn a narrow welt of skin or cloth. The superfluous edges of the slipper-shaped shoe are now trimmed off, and the top, or portion to cover the ankle, is sewn on.

“Strong frequently mentioned in his diaries that the women were busy making moccasins, which he acquired and in fact were probably made specifically to sell or trade to him. Thus it is not surprising to find that the collection contains 13 pairs, plus three unfinished pairs. All are made of tanned caribou skin and sewn with thread… At the time of Waugh’s travels [1921-22], moccasins were still worn, though the Eskimo waterproof sealskin boot…was much preferred.” VanStone (1985:28)