Pueblo Footwear for Ceremonies and Events

Among Pueblo Natives, the Kachina society evolved as a ceremonial group in which men perform private rituals in the kivas. Using dance, masks and body paint they performed public rituals in the plaza. The highest level were the Rain Kachinas, obviously due to the nature of the reliance on rain to nourish the dry environment, but there were also rituals for hunting and sickness.

Early Spanish missionaries tried to de-sanctify the Kachinas with little success. The tourist trade of the early 20th century encouraged public performance and made the sacred objects of these people into souvenirs. Since that time, the sacred character of the rituals and objects have been reclaimed by the Pueblo people and it is not currently permissible to show many of the artifacts or dances out of context.

Colourful pigments are the primary source of decorating skin boots in the Southwest. These were acquired from mineral and vegetable sources found in the area. White was obtained from clay, red from iron mineral, black from charcoal, turquoise from ground turquoise stone, yellow from ochre or the root of the algerita.