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Minnetonka is continuing its mission to support the Native American community with the relaunch of its iconic moccasin: The Thunderbird.
In 2020, the Minnesota-based company made an apology to the Native American community, recognizing that its original products launched when the company was first founded in 1946 have been appropriated from Native American culture.
Since then, Minnetonka has been steadfast on its commitment to repairing those relationships. To start, the brand hired Adrienne Benjamin as a reconciliation advisor in 2021. She is a Minnesotan, Anishinaabe, and a member of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. Benjamin has been a key part in the company’s journey in providing more opportunities to local Indigenous artists, for instance.
“We’ve had multiple launches with local artists and we’ve continued to build relationships in the community. With this Thunderbird relaunch, we’re at this point where our advisors want us to lead [this change],” explained president Jori Miller Sherer. “We’re at a point now where we feel like we have a strong enough foundation of progress. This is one of our most recognizable products and to be able to relaunch it and shine a light on this story and the designer is really important to talk about. We’re not filling some arbitrary quota. We’re really trying to do this in a long-term, forever way.”
On Tuesday, the brand officially launched the redesign of the moccasin for purchase.
It’s a style Minnetonka has made a strong business off of since it was originally released in 1955. However, the shoe originated as an Indigenous creation. (“Moccasin” is an Anglicization of the Ojibwe word “makizinan.”)
Now, it has been being recreated by Red Lake Nation Anishinaabeg designer Lucie Skjefte — an artist introduced to the brand by Benjamin.
Featuring a new hand-beaded, Thunderbird design, the moccasin has also been renamed “Animikii,” which means “Thunderbird” in Ojibwemowin and shares the same name as Skjefte’s son.
“Being able to tie this shoe back to an Indigenous creator just gives it the weight that it needs for it to percolate through our community and for the community to feel seen and heard,” Skjefte told FN. “It reinforces our visibility, acknowledging our creative contributions, not only in this realm, but across all industries.”
During a time in fashion where Native American artists often go ignored, marginalized and capitalistically taken advantage of, Skjefte said teaming with Minnetonka provides opportunity.
She added, “It’s important for our names to always be attached to our creations, not just personally, but for future Indigenous artists and designers to see themselves achieving this, too”
As a result, Minnetonka has filed the copyright of the Thunderbird “Animikii” design on behalf of Skjefte so that she is the owner. And for every pair purchased, a product lifetime royalty will be paid directly to Skjefte for her original design.
Despite the company’s apology and recent reparations, Skjefte said she looked inwards after receiving push back from family as to why she wanted to associate herself with the brand and it’s history of appropriation.
“I really had to dig deep,” she said. “And when I was digging, I found the essence of why I wanted to do the Thunderbird design: to make my mother proud and to make my grandmother proud. And for all the grandmas and their grandchildren to shift that negative narrative around this moccasin not being Indigenous made. Having a design that’s now Native-inspired, made by a Native designer, that’s going hit 10 times harder for them to be immensely proud to enter any given powwow and know that this is OK.”
In addition, Minnetonka is also donating to Mni Sota Fund — an urban Native CDFI selected by the designer that helps Native Americans in Minnesota get training and capital for home ownership and entrepreneurship.