doll

Unknown artist

1788

corn husk, wood, human hair, cotton, mammal skin, tin, porcupine quill, glass

Canadian Museum of History

A full-body view of a doll dressed in traditional clothing, standing against a white background. The doll is adorned with beads, a pouch, and a knife. A full-body view of a doll dressed in traditional clothing, standing against a white background. The doll is adorned with beads, a pouch, and a knife. "My 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 do