Supporting Native Communities and Businesses

Here at Indianca, we take pride in both the long standing and new found relationships we have developed with Native and Inuit artists and companies. We'd like to take a moment to give special mention to those Native owned companies, community organizations and artists whose work Indianica is pleased to support.

Art Huron International, a Huron nation owned company based in Wendlake, Quebec, produces many fine native crafts including mandellas, dreamcatchers, medicine pouches, dolls for children and incense, all of which are carried in our gallery. We feature Art Huron's line of incense sticks also on our website.

 

Bastien Industries, a Huron-Wendat nation owned company, is a manufacturer of fine leather and suede moccasins and mukluks for men, women and children. Extremely well constructed with rabbit fur and bead embellishments, comfortable foot beds and both indoor and outdoor style choices, Bastien moccasins have been a greatly popular item, both in our gallery and online. 

Native healer, Blue Eagle, has created a line of purifying products, Invocation, which include the very unique Liquid Smudge, a solution for healers who are not allowed to burn herbs and light candles in hospitals and businesses. Indianica is pleased to carry the line, which includes essential oils and bath products, in our gallery. 

  

Manitobah Mukuks, a Metis owned company, began in 1997 and has since been manufacturing highly sought after moccasins and mukluks using both traditional sensibilities and modern technology. Their products are sold internationally and are instantly recognizable for their quality, style and durability. We carry several of their tall suede mukluks and rabbit fur trimmed moccasins, both in our gallery and online.

   

Monague Native Crafts, Ltd is an Ojibway owned company based in Ontario. All products, from jewelry to dreamcatchers, are handmade. At Indianica, we are proud to offer an array of pottery, dolls, dreamcatchers and jewelry which have delighted and intrigued our international customers for years. Online, you can browse our extensive collection of dreamcatchers, all from Monague!

  

The Nunavut Development Corporation is "...committed to a vibrant, diverse and stable economy throughout Nunavut. It creates employment and income opportunities for residents through business development in arts, crafts, and cuisine with sensitivity to cultural and spiritual values." Indianica is especially proud to represent many talented arctic artists who work in soapstone and serpentine carvings, wool tapestries and doll making. We are currently working directly with the Nunavut Development Corporation to create an historical and biographical online database of artists we represent, whether they are relatively obscure or internationally known. 

If there is a Native owned arts and crafts manufacturer who you would like to see represented here in Montreal feel free to contact us! We are always looking for new and interesting artists while on our quest to support and promote indigenous cultures.

Indianica

79 Rue St. Paul Est

Montreal, QC

New In-Store Displays

Below are some snapshots of a great in-store display of new products including incense, sage (and smudge kits) , sweetgrass, medicine pouches, tea and scented candles:

 

Our most interesting new product is "Liquid Smudge", a series of essential oils which can be used to replace the burning of sage in cleansing ceremonies. It is a "...unique purifying essence recognized by therapists in many countries. Made with 100 % natural products it cleanses the electromagnetic field, helps to relax, to find new energy, clear mind, helps to sleep and to clear away pervading heavy and negative energies." It can be applied directly to an object or used as a room spray. 

We're also proud to introduce a new line of extremely comfortable moccasin slippers made of sheepskin suede and fleece lining. Made in Canada:

Stop by the gallery today to see all new products!

Indianica

79 Rue S. Paul Street

Montreal, QC

H2Y 3R1

Moccasins and Mukluks: From Function to High Fashion

Moccasins are a traditional type of Native footwear that have recently found their way into mainstream popular culture and fashion. Traditional moccasins come in innumerable variations according to the material, construction and beadwork design specific to each nation or tribe. To truly appreciate the beauty and appeal of comfort, let's take a look at the history of design, construction and the origins of the word "moccasin" itself:

Design

"The soft elk skin, deerskin or buffalo skin slippers worn by Native Americans and known widely as moccasins were a fashion of shoe shared by many different tribes over time. The seemingly simple design of moccasins, however, was actually so nuanced that Native Americans could attribute moccasin footprints to different tribes and identify one another accordingly. Subtle variations in stitching or fringe detailing or the finishing of the heel could distinguish one pair of footprints from another. Beyond this, the decorative detailing in beadwork or quill design on the front tab, or vamp, of the moccasin would also signal origins or affiliation. -Source: Aurora History Boutique

Construction

"Native American moccasins were designed for their specific environment. Hard-sole moccasins, usually made from two or more pieces of hide, are often associated with the western plains and deserts areas. The hard sole of shaped rawhide and fitted leather upper required more tailoring than other moccasin varieties. Hard-soled moccasins were important to protect feet from harsh cactus or prairie-grass covered ground, and sharp rocks not worn down by water. The turned up toe of many two-piece moccasins (like that of the Apache) prevented sharp objects from running into the seams and injuring the foot. Soft-soled moccasins, often constructed from a single piece of leather were common in the Eastern Forests and were made by bringing up the sole of the shoe around the foot and puckering or patching the material around the instep. Soft-soled center seam and pucker-toe moccasins were well suited to travel through woodlands with leaf and pine-needle covered ground. Some soft-soled moccasins from the Plains and Northwest Coast were made from one piece but they were sewed along one the side of the foot rather than the center."
-Source: Native Tech

Origins of the Word

The word moccasin in association with Native American footwear has been adopted by the greater American public but it was never a universally understood word within the different Native American tribes. Moccasin was the word for shoe in the Virginia Algonquian language and was passed into English as a generalization through the encounters early English settlers had with the native community. Captain John Smith of the Jamestown settlement is attributed with noting the translation in his 1612 glossary, ‘mockasins: shoes.’ In actuality, each tribe used words in their own language or dialect to signify shoe/slipper and it is coincidence that has made ‘moccasin’ the lasting word in English. It is more than coincidence and surely a tribute to the beauty of the design and image of the moccasin that it has been preserved as a style of shoe until today and continues to permeate the broader fashion market."
-Source: Aurora History Boutique

Today, contemporary manufacturers are looking back to traditional design to make Moccasins for the masses. The images seen here come from a Metis owned business which produces gorgeously constructed and detailed moccasins and mukluks offered in suede and nappa leather, rabbit fur trim, fleece lining and vibram soles.

Recently, Manitobah Moccasins, pictured above, were featured in Oprah Magazine. Countless celebrities have also been spotted sporting variations of this traditional footwear.

 ...and they continue to appear on the runways of some of the world's most recognizable fashion designers, such as Chanel

 Visit our online gallery of native made moccasins today to choose a pair that best suits your individual style and environment.

Indianica
79 Rue St.Paul Est
Montreal, QC
H2Y 3R1