The art of snowshoeing is alive in well in northern Manitoba thanks to Indigenous snowshoe maker and racer Diane Buck. As a child, Buck can recall snowshoes being a staple for people in the community and she remembers participating in snowshoe races as a kid.
“At a very early age I was a competitor in snowshoe racing at the Trapper’s Festivals and in Moose Lake, which led me to love snowshoeing,” said Buck. “I did a lot of racing in various communities after that.
“Moose Lake was actually a snowshoe town, where everyone had their own snowshoes and did a lot of it in the winter months. My dad was also a snowshoe maker and he made a couple year, but not as many as I do now. He taught me how to make the traditional style snowshoe.