Little moccasins ready for powwow
courtesy photo
Tribal artisans were honored at a dinner party at Allentown Restaurant Thursday, Nov. 5, for their efforts in hand making close to 300 beaded moccasins for Head Start children to wear in the Head Start powwow and other cultural activities throughout the year. Artisans include, from left, Eva Boyd, Evelyn Joseph, Arleen Adams, Shiloh McDonald, (hide tanners- Randall Michelle, wife) Ruth Swaney, Geri McDonald and Mary Jane Charlo. Also contributing but not pictured are Naomi Robinson and Kay McLeod.
courtesy photo
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RONAN — Close to 300 pairs of hand-crafted and beaded moccasins are being lovingly created for children in the Flathead Indian Reservations’ Head Start program, just in time for their annual powwow Friday at the Ronan Event Center.
Usually the local artisans create personalized patterns by sketching the foot of each child. But this year, the group began the process the second week in September with patterns in sizes small, medium and large.
“It’s working because all the small, medium, and large moccasins have been able to match up to faces,” said Myrna DuMontier, organizer of the Head Start Powwow and ECS Cultural Coordinator.
The mountain of moccasins represents countless hours of selfless sacrifice as every pair is time extensive, according to DuMontier.
“We really appreciate that. It takes a lot of time out of their lives,” she noted.
DuMontier said Karen Coffee made moccasins for the kids almost single handedly for many years, but due to a massive stroke last year is in an assisted living facility.
“We miss her dearly,” DuMontier said. “This is the first year in many that we have not had her making moccasins.”
The young children will be able to wear their new moccasins long after the powwow because Head Start offers cultural activities in the classroom throughout the year.
“They really like wearing moccasins around like slippers,” DuMontier said. “They really enjoy that, so at the end of year we send (the moccasins) home.”
This year Head Start is celebrating their 40th anniversary on the reservation.
