A Northeast Woodlands Story as retold by Anne Jennison
The Iroquois and Abenaki peoples of the Northeast Woodlands have many stories about what they call "The Three Sisters", the "sustainers of life". These Three Sisters called Corn, Beans, and Squash are central to the cultures and food ways of the Northwestern tribes.
It is said that - a long, long time ago, Corn Spirit was so honored by being allowed to be one of the sustainers of life that she asked Creator what more she could do for her people. Creator told Corn Spirit that she could make a doll from the husks of corn, to make the children happy and keep them safe so the adults could do their daily work. Corn Spirit set to work, making the doll. When finished, she gave the doll a beautiful face and sent her to play with the children, and make them happy. The beautiful Cornhusk Doll went from village to village , playing with the children and doing whatever she could for them. Cornhusk Doll knew the best games to play, songs to sing, dances to dance, and stories to tell. The children loved her and the parents knew their children would always be safe and happy whenever Cornhusk Doll came to visit their village.
Everywhere she went everyone would tell Cornhusk Doll how beautiful she was, so after awhile she became vain - and spent more time decorating her clothing and hair then she did with the children. Every time she passed a pond, lake, stream, or puddle, Cornhusk Doll would stop to admire herself. She didn't have time for the children anymore, because she was to busy thinking about how to make herself even more beautiful. Finally, Creator sent Owl to speak to Cornhusk Doll, to tell her this was not the right kind of behavior, and she agreed not to be this way anymore.
Owl also told Cornhusk Doll that Creator would punish her if she continued with this selfish behavior, but he did not tell her what the punishment would be. Cornhusk Doll agreed not to act that way again - and things went very well for awhile - but one afternoon Cornhusk Doll was walking by a creek with some of the children and happened to glance at her reflection in the water. As she admired herself, she couldn't help thinking how beautiful she was, because indeed she was beautiful. Then she got distracted again, admiring herself, and forgot all about the children.
And then...Creator sent Owl to snatch Cornhusk Doll's reflection from the water. When she looked again, she had no reflection, no face! This was the reminder Creator gave her to help her remember what she was supposed to be doing. It has become a tradition that when and Iroquois or Abenaki mother or grandmother makes a doll for a child, she won't paint a face on it, but instead will often tell them a version of this story instead. This is to remind us that it's more important to think of ways to help other people then it is to worry about how we look or how people see us, and that Creator has given a special gift to everyone - but those gifts must be used in a good way. And that's the end of that story.
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This version of the traditional Cornhusk Doll story was created by Anne Jennsion, Native American storyteller, historian, and museum interpreter of Abenaki history and culture. The Cornhusk Doll story, "The Doll With No Face", is a traditional story about how cornhusk dolls came to the peoples in the Northeast Woodlands. Anne's version is based on Abenaki and Iroquois variants of the story.
The Iroquois and Abenaki peoples of the Northeast Woodlands have many stories about what they call "The Three Sisters", the "sustainers of life". These Three Sisters called Corn, Beans, and Squash are central to the cultures and food ways of the Northwestern tribes.
It is said that - a long, long time ago, Corn Spirit was so honored by being allowed to be one of the sustainers of life that she asked Creator what more she could do for her people. Creator told Corn Spirit that she could make a doll from the husks of corn, to make the children happy and keep them safe so the adults could do their daily work. Corn Spirit set to work, making the doll. When finished, she gave the doll a beautiful face and sent her to play with the children, and make them happy. The beautiful Cornhusk Doll went from village to village , playing with the children and doing whatever she could for them. Cornhusk Doll knew the best games to play, songs to sing, dances to dance, and stories to tell. The children loved her and the parents knew their children would always be safe and happy whenever Cornhusk Doll came to visit their village.
Everywhere she went everyone would tell Cornhusk Doll how beautiful she was, so after awhile she became vain - and spent more time decorating her clothing and hair then she did with the children. Every time she passed a pond, lake, stream, or puddle, Cornhusk Doll would stop to admire herself. She didn't have time for the children anymore, because she was to busy thinking about how to make herself even more beautiful. Finally, Creator sent Owl to speak to Cornhusk Doll, to tell her this was not the right kind of behavior, and she agreed not to be this way anymore.
Owl also told Cornhusk Doll that Creator would punish her if she continued with this selfish behavior, but he did not tell her what the punishment would be. Cornhusk Doll agreed not to act that way again - and things went very well for awhile - but one afternoon Cornhusk Doll was walking by a creek with some of the children and happened to glance at her reflection in the water. As she admired herself, she couldn't help thinking how beautiful she was, because indeed she was beautiful. Then she got distracted again, admiring herself, and forgot all about the children.
And then...Creator sent Owl to snatch Cornhusk Doll's reflection from the water. When she looked again, she had no reflection, no face! This was the reminder Creator gave her to help her remember what she was supposed to be doing. It has become a tradition that when and Iroquois or Abenaki mother or grandmother makes a doll for a child, she won't paint a face on it, but instead will often tell them a version of this story instead. This is to remind us that it's more important to think of ways to help other people then it is to worry about how we look or how people see us, and that Creator has given a special gift to everyone - but those gifts must be used in a good way. And that's the end of that story.
*********************************************************************************
This version of the traditional Cornhusk Doll story was created by Anne Jennsion, Native American storyteller, historian, and museum interpreter of Abenaki history and culture. The Cornhusk Doll story, "The Doll With No Face", is a traditional story about how cornhusk dolls came to the peoples in the Northeast Woodlands. Anne's version is based on Abenaki and Iroquois variants of the story.
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