(August 7, 2001, Washington, D.C.) -- From September 4^th - 21^st, The Indian Craft Shop will host an American Indian Doll Show that will appeal to all ages and will interest both the novice and aficionado. Dolls will be sent from American Indian doll makers across the country.  Universally loved by children as toys, dolls are also cultural expressions that educate those within a culture, and outside it. Dolls by Native American artists have a special appeal. They can be miniature versions of Native Peoples at a unique period in history, or they can be a reflection of contemporary life. Today, many dolls go far beyond the craft, entering the market of highly collectible art.

Young girls were often given dolls made by elders that depicted domestic duties while young boys would be given dolls that depicted hunting or other activities they would be involved in as they grew older. Girls could practice putting a baby to sleep in a doll-sized cradleboard and role-play other household duties.  Boys could learn hunting skills.  Both would learn through playing and through oral history from elders.  They would also learn to make their own dolls in time, girls learning to collect materials and sew, and boys learning to make their own miniature versions of arrows, canoes and other items.

The clothing, materials and techniques used in making dolls can be historic or contemporary. Each doll reflects a different personality and use -- from the elegant, velvet-dressed Navajo dolls, to the more whimsical Navajo mud toys, humorous Zuni beaded clowns and Cherokee "High Fashion Party Girls."  The carved cottonwood katsinas of the Hopi ceremonial dances are not only beautiful, but have also been educational tools to teach the young the roles of Katsinas. Many dolls are highly sought after by collectors, such as Lakota buckskin dolls with intricately beaded and quilled garments or Alaskan dolls with their carved ivory faces and their fur-trimmed garments.

On September 13^th through September 15^th, special guest artist Mary Lou Big Day, a Crow doll maker, will be on hand to answer questions and demonstrate her doll making techniques.  Mary Lou's husband, Heywood Big Day Sr., a well known storyteller and historian, will join her for a presentation on Thursday, September 13^th from noon until 1:00 p.m., and on Saturday, September 15^th from 1:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. Cherokee doll maker Roberta Wallace will also be a special guest with her innovative, contemporary dolls.