(during colonial contact)
Moosehide Tea Doll, creator unknown, c. 1927, held at Field Museum of Natural History, USA
Innikueu, commonly known as Innu tea dolls, are small, hand-sewn dolls traditionally made by Innu from scraps of cloth or tanned hide, sewn in the shape of a person and stuffed with dried tea, or, alternatively, with soft materials such as moss, fabric remnants, or dried grasses. These dolls were historically made by parents for their children as toys and as storage containers, reflecting everyday life in hunting camps throughout Nitassinan.
Tea Doll, creator unknown, c. unknown, held by the Peenamin McKenzie School
Tea dolls were typically faceless and had minimally detailed bodies, but contrastingly often adorned with highly detailed clothing, carefully sewn miniature versions of traditional Innu caribou-hide coats, ornamented colourful hats, hand-knit stockings, and moccasins. The name “tea doll” derives, obviously, from their use in storing extra reserve tea. Black Tea, bought/traded from European traders, was a valuable, large-volume commodity to the Innu. When family groups travelled among their hunting grounds, all were expected to carry their share of the load, including children. Their share was carried by bringing it inside their doll, holding an extra cache of tea in case the larger supply ran out. A tea doll’s multifunctional purpose, and construction from spare or natural materials, is a strong reflection of the mobility of traditional Innu life, but also a growing integration of European goods into that lifestyle.
Innu girls with their dolls, c. 1931
As tea dolls were produced informally, individually, and for simple family use, using readily available materials and techniques passed down through observation rather than formal instruction, their traditional construction declined following the forced settlement of many Innu communities in the mid-20th century. Although the practice has been revied, which will be explored, few traditionally made tea dolls from the period of the Innu’s traditional lifestyle survive, remaining mainly in memory, museum collections, and archival photographs. This first image on this post is a traditional tea doll made of moosehide (creator unknown) and is held by the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, acquired by anthropologist Frank G. Speck in 1927.
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