Page 86 - Restorative Journey: Indigenous Educational Wellness

Voice Perspective
I challenged myself to make the fanciest cornhusk dolls I could and show them in public. My idea was that everyone might
be reminded of the beautiful things we can create. Sometimes our minds can become tangled, so weighed down by unending grief. When we try to straighten our minds, it can seem impossible. If we do nothing, we risk allowing the trauma that manifests in our communities to be mistaken as our identity. It is easy to feel bad, too powerless to try
to contribute to collective healing. It can be so overwhelming that it feels like placing a tiny drop of water on a huge blaze. What can I possibly do to help?
Elizabeth Doxtater
The cornhusk dolls in the photo represent the Haudenosaunee trinity of sustenance known as Tsyonhéhkwen (the Three Sisters):
ó:nenhste (corn) osahé:ta (beans) onon’ónsera (squash).
When the seeds are planted and grown together, each plant plays an essential
role in replenishing what the others take from the soil. They are a model for working together. The tall stalks of corn reach for the sun while supporting the intertwining beans and small squash runners that weave this trio together.
The bigger squash vines stretch out and stay low to the ground. The tiny prickly thorns on the leaves and vines act as a protector to all three, discouraging small predators. Tsyonhéhkwen remind us that if we identify each other’s strengths
and value each other for our differences, we all benefit.
Ó:nenhste is the tallest of the three. She was given her own protection. Each cob would be wrapped in husks that protect every kernel on each cob, on every stalk,
in every field, every year, for too many years to count. The husk has protected the seed since the time of Creation and continues its duty to this day.
Figure 54: The Ethical Standard of Integrity, painting by Elizabeth Doxtater
78 Commemoration • Education • Healing/Wellness