How Haudenosaunee Cornhusk Dolls Came to Have No Face
Haudenosaunee storytelling is not meant to just entertain but to also teach. Stories are used to warn against dangerous and bad behavior, uphold valued qualities, and teach good decision making. If you travel to different Haudenosaunee communities, you will discover that each community may have their own version of a story. There is no one version that is upheld over the others, but if you listen you will discover that although the details may be slightly different, the lessons taught remain the same.
In honor of this tradition, Seneca elder and artisan, Ronnie Reitter (Wolf Clan) shares the story of how Cornhusk Dolls came to have no face while demonstrating how the dolls are made. To this day, the cornhusk dolls remain with no face as a reminder of the lesson that all people are equal and that no person is better than another.
To learn more about the Ganondagan State Historic Site, visit their website here.