Anthropology
Check our anthropology FAQ for information about artifacts and more. Our Chumash Life pages for teachers and students provide a basic introduction to some aspects of traditional daily life.
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Oak Gall Dolls
I was searching for images of traditional oak gall dolls and was referred to your site. However, I couldn't navigate to your collection of dolls.
We will be making the dolls on June 7 at Ranch Days for Henry Coe State Park. Any resources on the topic or images would be greatly appreciated.
Curator Response
Hi Mary,
We don’t have an oak gall doll collection, but it’s possible you were pointed to us because we’ve posted on social media about an oak gall doll related event here. In 2021, Gina Mosqueda-Lucas (Shamala Chumash) led our docents in a workshop to create traditional Tule dolls in a Chumash style. These dolls have oak gall heads and their bodies are made from Tule reeds. We’ll attach a photo from that workshop here so you can see. However, we don’t know the traditional ways of making oak gall dolls in the Morgan Hill area and suggest you reach out to your local tribal cultural center or other local Native consultant to find out.
Sincerely,
John Johnson Chair of Anthropology Justin Lemberg, Ph.D.
