State Historical Society of Iowa

Meskwaki Doll, 1925

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Meskwaki Doll, 1925
Courtesy of the State Historical Society of Iowa, 1925

Description

A child's doll was not meant to be a lasting keepsake in a lot of American Indian tribes. Dolls were usually made of perishable materials like cornhusks or bundled pine, were not often built to last. Some dolls and other childhood things naturally fell apart with time, it showed that the child was growing up. 

Source-Dependent Questions

  • Why did the Meskwaki create dolls that looked like them?
  • Why might the Meskwaki make dolls out of materials that could be found outside in the environment?