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The origins Eagle Hill was started in the late 1970’s by my brother David Maracle, who sewed his moccasins by hand. By 1980, David headed to the University of Western Ontario and handed the designs and patterns over to our mother Joan, who was a sewer for many years of garments and for a company that contracted from the Bata Shoe Company. She perfected David’s moccasins by introducing a blanket cloth for the lining, an inner sole for comfort and an outer sole for durability for the outdoors. Joan also saw the potential opportunity and purchased an industrial sewing machine after the shoe contractor closed their doors. Even though she could produce more moccasins, she would always make custom moccasins for people with special requests. In the mid-90s Joan asked her children if they would be interested in taking the business over when she retired. I stepped up to the challenge and my mother trained me how to select hides, plan to get the most from the hides and how to operate the machine. Unfortunately, other challenges also presented themselves and I stepped away until recently when Joan decided it was time for her to retire. Today In the fall of 2010, I took over manufacturing of the moccasins and just as Joan did with David I have not changed a thing. She relied on two fundamentals for selling the moccasins, the first being word-of-mouth which still works great and the second, when customers try on a pair. However, my goal is for planning a better marketing strategy attending Pow Wows and other First Nation’s festivals and events. My mother set the standard for a quality product and I am planning to maintain this by keeping the same bead design, using deer hide, lining material, inner and outer soles. Location Why did I choose the name “Eagle Hill” moccasins? Our oral history tells us this is the location where the Iroquoian “Peacemaker” was born. Although he was born into the Huron nation, he travelled south to the Iroquois territories to deliver the Creator’s message of peace. Eagle Hill is located on the north shore of the Bay of Quinte in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory which is situated along the 401 corridor west of Kingston and east of Belleville, Ontario. Contact Eagle Hill Moccasins can be easily contacted by phone, text or preferably email at eagle.hill.moccs@gmail.com. At present there is no store front, only a workshop but with an email or a phone call arrangements can be made to stop in.
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