y people
have always made dolls," was the answer given by a First Nations
doll artist when asked about the history of Native doll making. Since
First Nations dolls were usually made of natural materials, such as
wood, leather, fur and corn husk, which decompose in temperate climates,
few examples have survived.
Dolls made from corn cobs and husks were popular among the Six Nations
peoples of the Lake Ontario region, who cultivated corn. Cornhusk
dolls depicted playing lacrosse or doing the hoop dance reflected
their culture. As early as the eighteenth century, the Algonquin made
dolls with beeswax heads and hands. The people of the Plains created
leather dolls and decorated their fringed leather clothing with
porcupine quillwork. When European beads became available, after
1840, they replaced quills.
Young Montagnais and Naskapi girls were given dolls and encouraged to
make clothes for them to develop their sewing skills. Dolls were also
used as charms, amulets and fetishes. On the West Coast, Salish
button-blanket dolls were made with small shells before buttons became
available. China head dolls obtained through trade were sometimes dressed
in Native clothing and tucked into small cradleboards for children to
play with.
Male doll
Algonquin, ca. 1779
Quebec
Beeswax head
CMC III-L-273
Baby doll
Algonquin, ca. 1779
Quebec
Beeswax head
CMC III-L-276
Male cornhusk doll
Huron (Wendat), 1788
Jeune Lorette, Quebec
Carved wooden head, human hair, earrings
CMC III-H-429
Female doll
Malecite, ca. 1912
Newfoundland
Carved wooden head
CMC III-E-87