Hanpa ksupi, c.1880

Woman's puberty moccasins.

Collected  by Dr. R. E. Nelson,
the Glenbow Institute,
and later Harold Pommerehnke.

Glass beads, porcupine quills, rawhide, brain-tanned deer hide, tin cones, dyed feathers, cotton trim, sinew.

Puberty was a significant time for Dakota/Lakota women, as girls were now able to become life givers. A highly respected older woman may have made this footwear for a very important daughter. The detailed work includes five styles of quillwork as well as trailers (fringes), which would leave a track if the woman was ever abducted. The brightly coloured quillwork, feathers, and beads would have been visible from a distance.

Red plumes may represent a young girl's coming into womanhood. They are usually indicative of a warrior's status, or a warrior's wife. The number of tin cones may be significant: there are seven council fires and seven tribes of the Sioux.

Trailers
Men of a certain status wore trailers on their moccasins so that they could be found if they were abducted. Although not all women's moccasins had trailers, most did. The trailers on these moccasins are meant to leave easy-to-follow tracks in case the wearer is abducted. The moccasins' bright colours also allow the woman to be seen from far away.

Feathers
Since the warrior is the blood giver and sun dancer, the feathers have been dyed red. There are sixteen wounds, each feather representing one wound.

Quillwork
Five styles of quillwork and two rows of lazy-stitch quillwork were used. Sewn with sinew, the moccasins also have a cotton lining trim.