Sioux

Many different groups are subsumed under the heading of Sioux. In the 19th century, the Teton Sioux lived in the western part of the South Dakota and into Nebraska. Sioux women on the Central Plains created some of the most stunning bead and quillwork produced on the Plains. Exceptional examples of their work include shoes with beaded soles and elaborately beaded or quilled shoes with forked tongues that are often festooned with tufts of horsehair. Shoes with beaded soles were made as special gifts to loved ones. These beautiful labours of love were worn for special occasions and proclaimed the status and wealth of the wearer.

Northern Cheyenne

By the early 19th century, the Cheyenne had separated into a northern group and a southern one. The Northern Cheyenne lived in Wyoming and part of Nebraska during the first half of the 19th century. The Northern Cheyenne favoured hard-soled shoes with elaborately beaded uppers. A background of white beads is a predominant feature among Northern Cheyenne shoes, as is an angled cut to the cuff of the shoe. The thunderbird was a popular symbol among the Cheyenne and is found on many of their shoes.