Bill Wilson is from the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation and the Oneida Nation of the Thames. She currently lives in the Oneida Nation. This is Bill’s digital story about her handmade dolls. She has also included an additional teaching from Judith Jourdan (Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin) about the cornhusk tradition.
Handmade dolls
The story of the dolls originate from the Seven Grandfathers Teachings. These refer to Honesty (Gwekwaadziwin), Truth (Debwewin), Bravery (Aakwa’ode’ewin), Humility (Dbaadendiziwin), Wisdom (Nbwaakaawin), Respect (Mnaadendimowin), and Love (Zaagidwin). A big story of what the dolls teach is humility.
I’ve done research with the Elders and others to look at exactly what dolls should be dressed like. This orange doll (left) represents Every Child Matters. The red doll (right) represents Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG).
These are very important links right now to the Oneida and Chippewa Nations, and to London. We’ve had women disappear from this area. And it’s too bad it had to come to Every Child Matters and MMIWG for everybody to realize why this is all happening. It’s a big, big story and we’re still trying to heal.
— Bill Wilson
About the cornhusk doll tradition
Judith Jourdan, Oneida Cultural Heritage Department
The importance of corn as a staple crop as well as a spiritual force has been fully documented.
According to Haudenosaunee creation stories, corn was a gift given to us by Shukwaya’tisu, Our Creator. It is referred to as one of the Three Sisters, the other sisters being beans and squash.
Of all the cornhusk forms, the dolls are clearly the most popular. Cornhusk masks and baskets were used in certain religious ceremonies. It is believed that the cornhusk dolls also had a religious use in some of the medicine societies. Examples of the dolls have been discovered as early as 1724 as a part of a medicine bundle used to carry away illness.
Making cornhusk dolls is an art form that was perfected long before the arrival of Columbus and has been passed down from generation to generation as a part of our Haudenosaunee culture. All aspects of Haudenosaunee life are depicted through the making of the dolls.
The cornhusks are fashioned into dolls that depict Haudenosaunee music, dance, traditional crafts, storytelling, and the lives of our ancestors.
Why are the dolls faceless?
There are varying stories of why these beautiful dolls are made faceless. One story is that the Creator and the child together should determine the “personality” of the doll.
Another story is that if a face is painted on the doll, the child will begin to identify too closely with the doll’s personality and a pretty face may cause conceit or self-pride.
Yet another is that by making a doll and giving it a face, you are giving it a spirit or soul and by selling it, it would be like selling your own child.
Whatever the story, each contains an underlying theme that teaches a lesson to the young people. Here is an example of one such story:
At one time the cornhusk doll had a very beautiful face. The Creator placed her on earth to be a companion to the children. Her task was to play with and entertain the little children.
One day the cornhusk doll saw her reflection in a pool of water and became so infatuated with her beauty that she forgot her appointed task — the children. She spent most of her time staring at her reflection in the calm pools of water.
The children began misbehaving and getting into trouble. When the Creator asked them why, the children complained that the cornhusk doll was too busy and didn’t have time to play with them anymore. The Creator became so disturbed by her vanity that he took away her face and spirit to teach her a lesson in humility.
©Bill Wilson, 2022. All rights reserved.