Let your artwork choose you - Moccasin Making with Michelle

A Posting by Michelle Salabiye

Emerging Artisan, Moccasin Maker, NCAC Cohort 2016/17

Ya’at’eeh shik’ei doo shidine’e! Shi ei Michelle J. Salabiye yinishe. Maiideeshgizhnii nishli, Naakai Dine’e bashishchiin,  Tsi’ naajinii dashicheii, Todich’ii’nii dashinali. I was raised in a small modest Rez town known as Nazlini, Arizona. I have a baby Maii named Noah Johnson, whom I lovingly call my son. I am an Emerging Artisan in the Navajo Cultural Arts Certificate Program and majoring in General Science here at Dine College. I also work with Aramark here on Tsaile campus. My emphasis of choice is moccasin making. Or perhaps better explained by our NCAC instructor - Moccasin Making chose me!

I am honored to be instructed by the famous and humble Mr. Harry Walters, who instilled the Navajo principles and stories behind the moccasin.  Mr. Walters also provided historical insights as he was an Archaeologist and who also developed the Museum and the Archive building here in Dine College. It’s safe to say we learn a handsome amount of Navajo stories, philosophies and historical background.  We couldn’t have had a better instructor!

Fall 2016 - Our class starting to get the basics down!

I always have had a practical and sentimental fondness of leather. The nostalgic aroma of leather awakens memories of wearing my moccasin to ceremonies, graduations, and running. The practical aspect is the sub-processes (how to prepare, tan, and crust the hide) - this intricate part of procedure caught my inner laborious being. It’s safe to assume that I chose this cultural art form because I am enraptured by everything leather, but what I have learned from my instructor, Harry Walters is that your craft can actually choose you.

 “Your artwork chooses you,” Mr. Walters explained to me after the first day of Moccasin Making class. He continued to  explained the concept of "intuition"... "that’s how you know.” I recall him saying, “when an artwork has chosen you, it falls freely and naturally into your hands.” Certainly hard work is entangled with acquiring a new task successfully. I wondered if Moccasin Making would allow itself to fall intuitively for me as it had for him.

Materials arriving!

When our class received our supplies earlier that day I remember thinking to myself, “This is really happening! I’m going to learn how to make moccasins!” I knew nothing beforehand of the anatomy of a moccasin nor the inner workings of leather crafts but I didn’t feel the least bit disheartened. And though I was discombobulated with my awl that first month, I was still eager to learn a skill that felt like a breath of fresh air.

Our class started the course making miniature sized moccasins. This was two weeks of trial and error before we finished. It involved a tedious consistent routine. Rather than use a needle and thread, we were given an awl and sinew. Each time we were to sew, we first had to puncture a hole with the needle so that it would go in appropriately. If it was inconsistent or the stitching was not in its correct form, the moccasins would turn out unmatched or uneven. Trust me...It is harder than it looks. Mr. Walters was so patient with each of us. He was reassuring and provided a lot of support.

Ouch! Band-aids and practice...

Submission piece for the 2017 Ned Hatathli Center Museum Exhibit

As the months rolled in, so did our moccasins. We were mastering the skill magnificently, our stitches, cuts, and confidence were on point. The anxiety of not being a natural slowly but steadily rolled off my shoulders. I felt the trust build up in myself that I can surely produce moccasins satisfactorily. With a dream team of the NCAP, instructors, and classmates I’d say that I was in the right place at the right time. With this combination, how could I fail? My last piece showed how far I have come. I made a male version wrap arounds. It had a few errors, but I knew where and how to correct them. I feel like with my next project after the next will only get better!  As Mr. Walters says, “There’s always room for improvements.”