Handmade Native American Cloth Doll – Indigo

Handmade Navajo cloth dolls copy a clothing style from American society back in the mid-1800s. Well-to-do women in that time period wore formal satin dresses and Navajo women copied the styles replacing satin with velvet which was more readily available.

Native American dolls are a way of representing life as it was in the past. It’s a way to own a piece of Native American culture for many people. Many modern doll creators go to great lengths to ensure they are authentic and hold true to the original dolls made in the past. These Navajo dolls are created to be bought as a collectible item, a gift, or sometimes as a remembrance of their history & heritage. The cloth dolls are an excellent way to honor a time in history that’s special to the Navajo people.

Dolls have an important role in Native American culture and almost every tribe has its own unique doll meanings & creations. Navajo dolls were not only used for children to play with but sometimes could also hold a deeper significance. The cloth dolls can frequently lead to a deeper understanding of Native American culture. Handmade dolls are sometimes used for teaching about cultural variations and to mimic life.  As such, the dolls would help to teach children by allowing them to imitate adult life and behavior as it relates to their tribe’s society and social norms.

This Native American Navajo cloth doll has earrings and a necklace made of small blue and other colored beads that are supposed to represent the silver, turquoise, and other stones commonly worn by the Navajo. Turquoise jewelry was a way to show good health, wealth, and a good life. The Navajo also believe that turquoise is sacred, believing that it is one of the stones created by spiritual beings that existed in worlds prior to this one.

Navajo Native American cloth dolls are quickly becoming one of the more popular Native American handcrafted collectibles worldwide and are a treasured keepsake and family heirloom for many people.