In Albuquerque, Big Day Takes Prize for Beaded Doll

On April 10th, the Indian Arts and Crafts Association announced the winners of
its 2008 Artist of the Year Competition during its annual Spring Wholesale
Market held in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

This year’s top award, “Artist of the
Year” went to Mary
Lou Big Day,
a beadworker and doll maker from the Crow Nation in Montana for her “Crow
Traveling Medicine Beaded Doll with Cradleboard.”

Mary
Lou Big Day has
been making dolls since she was a little girl.

This beautifully beaded doll sits
on a red birch pole which represents the teepee poles. This miniature scene
depicts the moving of the family camp. The dolls were used to teach young people
about what needs to
be done when moving, from picking and packing medicines to
storing dry meat and berries in the saddlebags. The doll itself was considered
“medicine” and would help when the camp was moved.

In
addition to the cradleboard, the doll carries her husband’s lance case made for
a captured army sword, his warbonnet case and coup stick. The doll’s face is
painted with earth paints in the Big Day family design. “The colors and designs
used for this doll are all traditional Crow designs, very geometric with lots of
sky blue beads and what are now called Cheyenne pink beads. Through my dolls,”
says Mary Lou, “I hope to preserve our past heritage for my children,
grandchildren and great grandchildren.” 

Download
a PDF listing the winners alongside photos of their work.