Moccasins

These moccasins were made by Prairie Dog Woman, the wife of Drags Wolf, chief of the Shell Creek District Hidatsa in North Dakota. Chief Drags Wolf served on the delegation responsible for early work on the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, which reversed the United States’ traditional goal of assimilation of Native Americans into their society and restored the Native right to manage their own assets. Chief Drags Wolf was an important man in his community, and Prairie Dog Woman would have been responsible for creating regalia fitting for his position. These moccasins show her absolute mastery of quillwork. The sunburst motif found here was often used on moccasins, and represented a view of a feathered headdress from above.