Antique Native American (First Nation) Indian Snowshoes
c. 1900’s
Wood, Babiche
35 1/4” x 9 3/4”
© Vintage Winter

This is a beautiful set of Native American snowshoes, woven with thick animal hide and fitted with traditional leather strap bindings. The original green pom-pom tribal markers remain visible, worn with age, but still present. The snowshoes carry a rich, natural patina that has recently been preserved with a coat of beeswax.  Unfortunately, this set suffered damage to the tails of the frames.  A wonderfully project set that could be glued back to original shape.

It is believed that decorative pom-poms served both spiritual and practical purposes. Hunters often adorned their snowshoes with pom-poms made from the fur of the animals they pursued, caribou hunters, for example, typically used caribou fur. This was done in hopes of masking human scent and improving the hunter’s chances when moving upwind. Spiritually, some Indigenous hunters felt that honoring the animal spirits through decoration, using fur pom-poms, paint, or geometric patterns woven directly into the hide would bring success in the hunt.

Tribal tradition also influenced the color and style of the pom-poms. In some regions, particular colors were associated with specific tribes. For instance, Cree snowshoes were often distinguished by their predominantly red pom-poms.

Native American woman weaving snowshoes