| Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota moccasins are made so that the wearer can feel the earth. We draw energy and life from the earth. We walk sacredly and softly on Mother Earth.
Both rawhide sole and soft-sole moccasins were made by these three nations. The rawhide sole lasted longer; it also helped to protect the soles of the feet in going over cactus and rough terrain, while still being flexible enough to allow the wearer to feel the earth.
Beadwork designs are spiritual in nature, sometimes reflecting personal medicine, family designs, or important events such as a battle, puberty, sacrifices, visions and so on. Although the wearer's choice of colour is personal, there are sometimes commonalties in colour and design: the four directions, the thunderbird, mountains, the spider, the tipi, the dragonfly, clouds.
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