Moccasin Identifier brings Indigenous history and treaty education to life for students

The Moccasin Identifier is helping students across Ontario learn about Indigenous history, treaties and the First Nations connected to the land where they live and go to school through one simple symbol — the moccasin.

Created by Carolyn King, a member and former chief of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, the initiative began more than a decade ago as a way to make treaty education more accessible for students. Today, it provides Kindergarten to Grade 12 educational resources and has reached thousands of children through classroom visits and hands-on learning. King believes the moccasin is a powerful way to start conversations.

The educational kits encourage students to discover whose traditional territory their school is on and which treaty area they live in. Lessons also explore how moccasin designs differ among Indigenous Nations, reflecting local materials, landscapes and cultural traditions.

King said the program was designed to make Indigenous education engaging and easy for teachers to bring into the classroom. She said children love the activities and believes the project will make a lasting difference.

Each session ends with a moccasin stenciling activity, allowing students to create artwork while reinforcing lessons about Indigenous cultures, treaties and Canada’s shared history.

Executive Director Laurie Froman said the organization has expanded beyond schools and now offers programming for communities and organizations as well.

The Moccasin Identifier kit currently includes four moccasin stencils representing Ontario’s Indigenous linguistic groups: Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, Cree and Wendat. With interest in the program growing across Canada, a national kit featuring additional First Nations will launch this September.

The organization has also installed Moccasin Identifier markers in public spaces, universities and municipalities to recognize Indigenous presence and spark conversation. Most recently, a new Moccasin Identifier art installation was unveiled at the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation Council House near Hagersville. King and Froman hope the markers become a lasting reminder for future generations.