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<\/figure><\/li><\/ul>Top and bottom view of the beaded moccasins in the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnology in Florence, Italy. Correspondence with the holding institution indicated that the moccasins show signs of wear and the vamp and upper section of the moccasins are repairs that were made before arriving at to the museum. Catalogue number 20130. (photograph by Emanuela Rossi from the\u00a0GRASAC record<\/a>).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n The GRASAC record indicated uncertainty regarding the moccasin\u2019s provenance history. On the entry pertaining to the beaded moccasins<\/a>, a note stated that the moccasins were from the Prairies, and a later note clarified that they came from the Great Lakes. When I reached out to the holding institution, they notified me that a recent study based on visual analysis had attributed them to the Iroquois.
Significantly, through this communication, I learned that the listed donor\u2019s name, \u201cMrs. Kingsmith Mavies\u201d was a transcription error and that the correct name was Mrs. Laura Norcross Marrs. This was critical information. Following this lead, I explored the connection with Mrs. Marrs\u2019 sister-in-law Evangeline Whipple (n\u00e9e Marrs) and her husband, Bishop Henry Whipple.
Henry Whipple was an Episcopal Bishop and missionary who worked in Minnesota beginning in the 1860s. He was a conflicting figure. Impacted by what he witnessed, he advocated for Indigenous rights and drew attention to injustices faced by Indigenous communities. However, as a missionary, his work was deeply rooted in a colonial mindset, and he actively supported the Christianization of Indigenous peoples. He was involved in missionary work in a few reservations including White Earth, Red Lake, Leech Lake, Birch Coulee and Faribault. <\/p>\n\n\n\nBishop Whipple and his wife Evangeline held close friendships with Ojibwe and Dakota people in Minnesota. They received various gifts and, over time, acquired a large collection of Indigenous made items. For example, because of his advocacy and support in the Leech Lake timber controversy, Bishop Whipple was gifted a\u00a0beaded stole<\/a>\u00a0made by the wife of Chief Flatmouth. Evangeline was also gifted moccasins. There are examples by\u00a0Sarah Good Thunder<\/a>\u00a0(Dakota) and\u00a0miniature moccasins<\/a>\u00a0by Julia Walker Lawrence (Dakota) that are held by the Minnesota Historical Society.
The style of the moccasins held in Florence resembles those that Evangeline was gifted. More generally, they share similar attributes to moccasins made in the region where Evangeline and Bishop Whipple lived and worked. According to studies by David Sager, the center-seam and vamp pattern are commonly associated with the Ojibwe, however in this region, it was also being made by the Dakota as early as the 1830\u2019s. Furthermore, the moccasins that are decorated with\u00a0ribbon applique<\/a>\u00a0share strong similarities with the moccasins in the Minnesota Historical Society collection which also feature\u00a0ribbon applique.<\/a>\u00a0These moccasins also come from the Whipple collection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/grasac.artsci.utoronto.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/886d63a8-0654-8890-2198-23db7022360b.png\")
Top and bottom view of the ribbon appliqu\u00e9 moccasins in the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnology in Florence, Italy. Catalogue number\u00a020131. (Photograph by\u00a0Emanuela Rossi from the\u00a0GRASAC Record<\/a>).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Bishop Whipple passed away in 1901; nine years later Evangeline moved from Minnesota to her brother Kingsmill Marrs\u2019 villa in Florence, likely bringing part of the Whipple collection with her. The moccasins would eventually be donated to the museum by Laura Norcross Marrs, Kingsmill\u2019s wife, in 1925. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Provenance research and visual analysis strongly indicate that the moccasins come from a Dakota or Ojibwe maker in Bishop Whipple and Evangeline\u2019s circle in Minnesota. They were likely collected anytime between 1860 (when Bishop Whipple’s missionary work began in the area) and 1910 (when Evangeline moved to Florence). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The GRASAC record will soon be updated to indicate these new learnings, but there is still more work to be done. Further research may be able to connect these moccasins to their makers, or to gain insights on their beadwork and repairs.\u00a0\u00a0If you have any additional information that could support this research, you are welcome to reach out to me at\u00a0Giuliana.taccone@gmail.com<\/a>\u00a0and to GRASAC at\u00a0grasac.pm@utoronto.ca<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Further Reading<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n