Alan Monroe, Lakota | ||
| Use a No-Face Doll as a personal fetish, pendant, or hang from vehicle mirror, door knob or on the wall or Christmas tree. A unique gift. -
real horse hair for the dolls' hair All dolls are hand stitched buckskin, heads stuffed with South Dakota sage. They are hand painted on one side and mostly plain on the back. They are embellished with high quality glass crow beads, brass beads and brass cones. About Sage - Native Americans use sage for smudging ceremonies and worn in bags around the neck. They believe sage would drive off negative energies, spirits and influences and protect them from all that is negative in spirit. The sage used in these totems is native to South Dakota where Alan Monroe lives. He collects it, strips it and packs the totems very full and tight so that they retain their shape for generations. (ONLY ONE EACH DESIGN AVAILABLE) | |
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The No Face DollThe No Face doll has its origin in the corn-growing Northeastern tribes as the dolls were traditionally made of cornhusks, with darkened corn silk for the hair. As legend has it, Corn Spirit, sustainer of life, asked the Creator for more ways to help her people. The Creator formed dolls from her husks, giving the dolls a beautiful face. When the children of the Iroquois pass the dolls from village to village and from child to child, her beauty was proclaimed so often that the corn husk doll became very vain. The Creator disapproved of such behavior and so told the doll that if she was going to continue being part of the culture, she would need to develop humility. The doll agreed but couldn't help but admire her own reflection in a creek. The all-seeing Creator, sent a giant screech owl down from the sky to snatch the doll's reflection from the water. She could no longer see her face or bask in her superior beauty. So when a Northeast Native American mother gives a doll to her child, it is usually a doll with no face and the mother tells the child the legend of the Corn-Husk doll. Native Americans want their children to value the unique gifts that the Creator has given to each of them, but not to view themselves as superior to another, or to overemphasize physical appearance at the expense of spiritual and community values. Read more about Corn and Corn Maidens on our blog. Lakota No Face DollsSimilar to the Northeaster tribes, the Plains tribes often use No Face dolls to instill humility in their children. Since the Great Plains tribe members' own clothing was often elaborately covered with intricate beadwork, so were the dolls. Lakota Dolls are beautifully adorned and depending on the activity they represent, they can be outfitted with various equipment and items such as baskets, cradleboards or knives and hunting tools. Lakota Dolls are traditionally made from buckskin. The bodies are stuffed with sage, cattail fluff or buffalo hair. The hair is usually horse hair or buffalo hair. Why do Native American dolls have long hair? As legend has it, when you die, if you don't hear your name called, you can't cross over to the other side. So, just in case you don't hear your name when it is called, if you have long hair, someone on the other side can grab your long hair and pull you over. Home | FAQ | About Us | Articles | Shopping | Contact | Site Map | Search © 2022 Horsekeeping LLC © Copyright Information |
Alan Monroe - Lakota Alan Monroe creates his Northern Plains artwork from hides, stone, leather, and wood. He learned the basics of quill working, weaponry, sculpting and pipe making from traditional and contemporary artisans in his family circle. He is a fifth generation pipe maker and considered by many to be a master pipe maker. In his sculptures, Monroe works with a variety of materials such as pipestone, bone, wood and alabaster. He creates small objects like fetishes to large pieces than can weigh hundreds of pounds. Al Monroe's work can be seen in many galleries and museums across the country and he has won many awards. Al Monroe was born in Hot Springs , South Dakota and is an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. He graduated from Hot Springs High School and studied business and art in Nebraska, Tennessee, and South Dakota. |
