![CMC S95-24216;
PCD 94-742-005](/web/20061029163900im_/http://www.warmuseum.ca/tresors/treasure/images/265_1a.gif) |
Gloves, Slavey, 1957; made by Bella Bonnetrouge, Fort Providence,
Northwest Territories; smoked moosehide, moose hair, beaver fur. CMC VI-N-33
In the nineteenth century, Métis who traced their origins to the
Red River area of Manitoba were important agents of change with respect to
Dene clothing fashions and decorative art.
A style of decorative work known as "tufting" was introduced about 1915
by a Métis woman, Mrs. Boniface Lafferty. In this technique,
flowers and leaves are created by inserting a small bundle of moose or
caribou hairs under a loop stitch, then pulling the stitch tight and
fastening it off. The hairs are fanned out on either side of the stitch
and trimmed with scissors to create a smooth, rounded effect.
Mrs. Lafferty taught this method to her daughter-in-law, who in turn
taught a nun, Sister Beatrice Leduc. Under Sister Leduc's instruction
in the convent school at Fort Providence, a number of Dene and
Métis girls and women became skilled at such work, and it later
spread to other communities. On clothing, hair tufting is most often
used to decorate mittens, gloves, and footwear.
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