Dig It - 9/15/22
Well, all righty then, Let’s dig it!
This pair of dolls dates from the turn of the century and comes from the Central Plains tribes, such as the Lakota or Cheyenne - some days I wake up and say Cheyenne and others I say Lakota. Today, it is Lakota because of the “salt and pepper” beadwork on their moccasins. Maybe the maker of these dolls was half Lakota and half Cheyenne.
Though they speak totally different languages these two tribes did camp and fight together in the 1860s and 70s. Whoever this doll-maker was, she did a great job, and her creations are incredibly detailed. I believe that most dolls were often made in pairs. They were primarily to sell to outsiders, proudly announcing, “this is the way our people look!”
I also hypothesize that the reason there are so many surviving female dolls and so few male dolls is that when male dolls were given to boys, they played with them much rougher and hence fewer survived. Well Fellow Seekers, that about wraps it up. Let me just mention or should I say Pitch, these beautiful dolls are very reasonably priced, so Gosh Darn It, add them to your collection. You will be glad you did.