Moccasins
Unknown artist from the Crow Tribe
Crow, United States
1900
skin, porcupine quill, beadwork
Melanie Yazzie
A pair of moccasins sparked a connection for Artist Melanie Yazzie to consider the role and importance of having empathy for others, or “walking a mile in someone’s moccasins.”
Does this object spark a lesson idea for your classroom?
- How could students share memories related to their words?
- What does it mean to walk in other people’s shoes, and when did you feel like you did that with a friend or family member?
TIP: Have students trace their feet and write words of personal empowerment within the outline to display throughout the classroom.
Related Creative Activities
How Coyote Came to Shuffle Off to Buffalo
Students will use Harry Fonseca’s painting Shuffle Off to Buffalo #V to spur their imaginations. They will write their own stories about how Coyote came to dance on stage dressed up as Uncle Sam.
Weaver Inspired Activity
Parfleche Inspired Activity
Storyteller Figure Inspired Activity
Moccasin Design Inspired Activity
Adventures in Toyland
Students will watch a short clip from the Disney-Pixar movie Toy Story and compare it to the toy in Richard Patterson’s painting If. Inspired by adventures in the movie, they will brainstorm a list of ideas that describe how Patterson’s toy might have ended up under layers of paint. They will then write a creative short story documenting the adventures.
