“I loved these joyful, beaded shoes the moment I saw them on exhibit in our Native American art galleries. I was immediately drawn to the colorful beadwork that integrated the bright yellow of the shoe’s lining and contrasted so brightly against the soft beige of the shoe’s leather. The elegant floral contour beadwork can be seen from every direction as the wearer walked or stood. Who was the lucky lady who wore these beautiful and bold shoes? Did she bead them herself, or were they a gift from a relative? Were they shoes for dancing? The label description, ‘non-traditional Women’s Shoes,’ is really a misnomer. While it is likely the original shoes were commercially manufactured and acquired through trade or purchased in a trading post, they were transformed by the artist who beaded them into an Indigenized expression of pride and beauty. We do not question the traditional value of beadwork, despite the fact that the beads themselves were trade items manufactured in Europe. To me, these shoes are evidence of ingenuity, resilience, and skill.”
—Kathleen Ash-Milby, Curator of Native American Art
Santee Sioux artist. Non-traditional Women’s Shoes, ca. 1900. Glass beads and silk on leather. The Elizabeth Cole Butler Collection, 2014.151.2a,b
