In this video, I tell the story of why the corn husk doll has no face while making one of these beautiful dolls. There are a lot of implied messages that address our Haudenosaunee culture within the story of the corn husk doll. This story reminds us of our family and community responsibilities. We all need to find ways we can help others in our community. No one person is better than anyone else. We each have a role to play to keep our communities strong.
In addition to the foods we grow at our home, we are also part of Ohe∙láku (among the cornstalks), a co-operative of Oneida families growing corn together. Ohe∙láku is partnering with Tetwatunhatenyehse (we are changing our lives), a group dedicated to re-establishing traditional cultural teachings of rites of passage to help prepare our young ukwehuwe men and women for their transition into adulthood. This video, and future videos will help Ukwakwa, Ohe∙láku, and Tetwatunhatenyehse share what we have learned about taking care of our food relatives. A special thank you to Native American Agriculture Fund and Oneida Falling Leaves 4H program for providing funding and support for the Ohe∙láku and Tetwatunhatenyehse youth agriculture project that teaches youth about traditional farming practices.