Getting After It With Shauna White Bear

Not far from the Bridger Mountains in Bozeman, Montana sits a nondescript building bursting with colorful beads, various natural fabrics, and vibrant culture. We sat down with Shauna White Bear in her moccasin studio where she and her team create custom made, one-of-a-kind moccasins by hand and with heart.

GGAI: Who is Shauna White Bear? How did she get here?

Shauna: I’m a self taught moccasin maker based in Bozeman, MT. I turned a hobby into a full time business. I never anticipated turning my hobby into a business. It has blossomed into this wonderful journey and once I had more orders than I could keep up with, I started to recruit indigenous college students to work with me. 

GGAI: How did you discover your passion for making moccasins?

Shauna: I think after I created my first pair, I couldn't stop thinking about what I could do next and what new fabric and materials I could incorporate. Even now, if I have a new piece of wool fabric or fur it motivates me and inspires me to utilize it into a new pair. No two pairs are alike. 

GGAI: You started your business a little over 3 years ago. What has been your biggest accomplishment? And at the same time, what have been your biggest struggles?

Shauna: My big accomplishment has been becoming involved in the indigenous community which has helped me create and build a solid team, which is helping me take the steps to becoming a sustainable business with meaning. The biggest struggle has been time management and wanting to do it all. It’s impossible to do it all and delegating tasks that I don’t necessarily excel in and learning from the younger generation. I’ve worked in customer service since I was 15 and I have a lot of experience working with all kinds of people, but I lack some tech skills whereas the younger generation has grown up with it and understands it more. Taking the time to learn and implement it into my business has been a game changer. So many businesses don’t adapt to new technology and they struggle because of it. Pricing can be a struggle. Each pair of moccasin is a special custom piece. A lot of time and effort goes into each pair and I don’t think people fully understand what goes into making a pair. It can be challenging to let things go and  to pick my battles when bigger moccasin companies are making their product overseas and copying designs from smaller artists. But I have to push through because they aren’t me and I feel good standing behind my product. 

GGAI: What has surprised you about this entrepreneurial journey so far? 

Shauna: How much support from the community and well received it has all been. I never thought about it and the fact that it is so supported gives me the motivation to keep doing it because it seems like I’m on the right track.  

GGAI: A big part of your mission at White Bear Moccasins is to hire college-aged Indigenous women. Where does this passion stem from? And by doing so, what are you hoping to instill in these women? 

Shauna: I was not born on the reservation and went to public school where I was the minority. I didn’t want to stand out and by doing so I got away from my culture. In my 20s I always wanted more indigenous friends and I felt disconnected from my indigenous family when I visited them on the reservation in North Dakota. I needed to create my own indigenous community. When non-indigenous individuals ask where I learned to make moccasins, they are disappointed that I didn’t learn it from my family, but taught myself. But I realized there was more indigenous women like me, who were from the reservation, but had never made traditional moccasins. I started to learn from these women about their culture and their tribes. It’s like we were a quilting circle, there’s something magnetic that happens when we all come together and I knew I was onto something while we worked together. I get excited to see them get excited about their work. The ones that come in and really like it, they will make their first pair and then they want to make another and improve their skills. To see their excitement is everything. I want these women to be excited and proud of each pair they work on. It’s a great way for them to hyperfocus and shut off the word. The good moccasin makers are the ones that can dig in and focus on what they are doing. It’s not just about making the moccasins. They can take these skills with them wherever they go.

GGAI: You quit drinking alcohol a couple of years ago. Can you share a bit about your sober journey thus far?

Shauna: My father passed in January of 2021 had cirrhosis of the liver but ultimately died of liver cancer. That was the moment I decided to quit all together, but I slowed down my drinkinking before then when I started to make moccasins. I didn’t care to go out to the bar because I wanted to stay home and work on my craft. So many people struggle with it and my dad was one of the last of his friend group to be alive and seeing health decline in others I knew at a young age really opened my eyes to the impact drinking has. Drinking didn’t serve me any more and I didn’t see a need for it. It was only a struggle in social situations because I never knew what to do with my hands so I started carrying candy around, but otherwise it hasn’t been hard. I have more clarity and life has gotten better. 

GGAI: What does “girl, get after it” mean to you?

Shauna: Do the work, bitch! Just do what you say you are going to do. Don’t just think about it, go get after it. I’ve always been a big fan of Girl, Get After It because I like the community and like-minded people who want to do things outside. 

To learn more about Shauna and the gorgeous moccasins being hand crafted at the White Bear Moccasins studio visit https://www.whitebearmoccasins.com/

“Native Americans were the first inhabitants of the area to become known as the state of Montana. Tribes include the Crows in the south central region, the Cheyenne in the southeastern part of the state, the Blackfeet, Assiniboine, and Gros Ventres in the central and north-central areas, and the Kootenai and Salish in the western sector. The Pend d'Oreille were found around Flathead Lake, and the Kalispel occupied the western mountains.” Click to learn more