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Elsie Burns Nelson
and her son William Nelson are two innovative
dollmakers whose works delight both children and adults. Elsie
began her craft more than 35 years ago. While growing up in
Cowspring, Arizona, she learned from her grandmother how to
use colorful velvet scraps to make cloth dolls wearing the
same traditional Navajo style velvet blouses and tiered skirts
worn by themselves. The skirts are often called "broomstick
skirts" because they would be twisted around a broomstick
to get the full-pleated effect.
Elsie married Willie Nelson and moved to To'hajiilee,
New Mexico (formerly known as Canyoncito), where he lived.
Together they raised their two sons, Wallace and William.
Willie is a silversmith, and both sons follow in this tradition
of classic-style silver jewelry set with coral and turquoise
and embellished with twisted wire.
But, William also joined his mother in her
dollmaking. "One of my first memories as a child is helping
my mother make her dolls," says William. "I enjoyed
cutting out the patterns and putting them together. By the
time I was 10 years old, I joined other Navajo artists who
sold their work along the highway to tourists."
Working, as they have for years, on an old
featherweight Singer sewing machine, Elsie and William started
with a pattern used by Gertie, their great grandmother's mother.
From this simple pattern, they've made a number of variations.
"We like to use the cotton prints with Southwest designs,
but have difficulty finding them," says William. "We
also use the traditional velvets, as well as silks and other
materials." The hair may be braided or tied back in the
customary Navajo way. The grandmother dolls have silver and
black hair.
They added a "story doll" to their
collection. "Some people call them storyteller dolls
because they hold from one to eight babies in their arms.
But we call them 'story dolls' because we don't want to offend
the Pueblo artists who make the clay storytellers. However,
our traditions also include the telling of stories and passing
of traditions orally from the elders to the young."
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the early 80s, Elsie designed two of their most
popular dolls -- a small yarn doll wearing a shawl
and a clothespin angel with white leather dress
and wings. Both dolls have been very popular. They
also make a small "tipi doll" with a wooden
head and tipi shape, cornhusk dolls and a corn grinding
doll. |
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Their art has kept this mother and son close.
"We hope that our dolls bring joy to whoever buys them.
The bright colors and happy faces give children a new way
to look at our culture. Our dolls are a miniature of our People
today. We still wear these styles and make the broomstick
skirts and blouses for our family, and also sell them locally.
Our dolls are a gentle reminder that we are still here."
The Indian Craft Shop represents artists from over 40
tribal areas within the United States. Located in the Department
of the Interior federal building at 18th and C Streets, the
Shop is open Monday thru Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Closed federal holidays. Open the third Saturday of each month
from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Photo ID required for entrance.
For more information, call 202-208-4056.
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