Created by Métis artisan Heidi Houle, member of the Paddle Prairie Métis Settlement in Alberta, these mukluks are part of Scotiabank’s Truth & Reconciliation Action Plan. The mukluks represent the reconciliation journey — a path we are walking together toward a hopeful future.
Artisan Heidi Houle with materials used for the mukluks
Every stitch, bead, and material tells a story, from the Métis-style beadwork to the construction technique. The beaver fur references the fur trade and the animal’s tenacity and resilience. The Moose Hide Campaign provided the moose hide leather, and Scotiabank Indigenous employees gifted the traditional medicines — sweetgrass, sage, tobacco, and cedar — sewn into the mukluks.
The mukluks will travel to Scotiabank branches across Canada as a symbol of our commitment to join the path of reconciliation together with communities, employees and clients. Here’s more on how Houle designed these works of art.