Re-stitching and strengthening community: Three global examples of how doll-making translates into well-being in Indigenous cultures

Traditional doll-making has important meanings that translate into personal and communal identity. As one of the earliest discovered play artefacts, dolls are deeply intertwined with symbolic meanings around spirituality, rituals, familial histories and communal traditions. These values are especially important in Indigenous groups where health and well-being pivots on the preservation of cultural heritage. This article develops the theory on the well-being functions of doll-making through the exploration of three different practices in Indigenous cultures across the globe. We explore the Gomeroi Yarning dolls (Australia), Six Nations Cornhusk dolls (Canada) and Siyazama Zulu dolls (South Africa) to show that, through building the expression of local community-level identity, these dolls support Indigenous world-views around well-being. Specifically, the Gomeroi Yarning dolls encourage the sharing of oral personal narratives, the Six Nations Cornhusk dolls promote the transmission of cultural teachings, and the Siyazama Zulu dolls create community support networks through locally relevant HIV/AIDS awareness. As a result, local Indigenous communities are strengthened through the space that is created for a healing process, capacity building for problem-solving, and the reclaiming of Indigenous identity. All of these factors are important steps for moving forward from the silence, dealing with trauma and difficult situations, and thus transforming pain and grief through cross-cultural communication.