The Wee Peeple Newsletter 

January 2011            Issue 47

Doug Dreamweaver set his two Wise Woman Dolls out in the snow to take these pictures.

Then the Dollmaker came along and, using this online program: Blingee.com

she added Bling to the photographs.

for a Gallery of Customized Wee Peeple Photographs

Wee Peeple Doll Constructions

is organizing the First (Art Dolls Only) Challenge of the Year

That Challenge is

So... What IS a Totem Animal?

Deep in the bowels of the Earth,

scrawled upon the innermost walls of caverns

are prehistoric renderings depicting

 Tribes of Humans interacting with Tribes of Animals.

In those days, there was not so much an academic "belief system"

as there was the direct experience that:

"Man is not above Nature, Man is ONE with Nature."

This lofty idea was embraced by Members of Nature such as the Saber-toothed Tiger,

who regularly became ONE with Mankind...

It is written in the stones that this planet pretty much belonged to the Animals

for ka-drillions of years before Human Beings arrived.

When the Humans finally got here, the animals ate them.

"There was no separation between Man and Animal!"

"Animals, regardless of culture and location, teach us by example." 

 Foraging, leaping around, hunting, reproducing... well!

As time passed, prehistorical Humans enjoyed the benefits of surviving,

and, as students of the Animals,

 lunching alongside the herds during those lazy afternoons on the plains, 

it was natural for them to fondly regard their Animal Mentors as

Brethren... 

The word   "Totem"  means   "Brother Sister Kin"

So, we can think of Totem Animals as

 Kinfolk.

And a Totem Pole as a Family Tree. 

Somewhere along the line a Taboo

against eating one's own Family Members arose, 

and this, (not always, but) often included the Tribe's Totem Animal.

In fact, the Clan Totem Animal became a Symbol for Clan Solidarity!

(think: Budweiser Clydesdales)

Right. There you go. So they had the Bear Clan and the Deer Clan and the Wolf Clan,

 like now we have the Indianapolis Colts, the Miami Dolphins- you know,

Elephants over here, Donkeys over there...

the similarity being... 

The Group Identity is Represented by an Animal.

So, What is a TOTEM ANIMAL?

...a Member of the Tribe, a Companion, a Muse for Cave Art...

Sacred Guide who appears in Dreams and tells the Tribe where to hunt...

(for Other species...)

and

 an Object fashioned into the shape of an Animal

 which Symbolizes one's Identity

such as...

...a crest, a totem pole, an emblem, a small figurine or

 anything else that depicts or represents the Admired Qualities or Spirit of the Animal.

Old Indian Legend say...

"In the distant past there was no 

separation between man and animal."

http://www.starstuffs.com/animal_totems/

    "Animal teachers will become noticeable when it is time."

"One needs to be perceptive

and aware when one sees animals that catch one's attention

and stand out above the perceived norm."

Check out the new

OWL SHAMAN DOLL SLIDESHOW

A Tutorial on How to Make a Totem Animal Doll

  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Spirit Mama put out the word

And round the world the call was heard;

A Proclamation sent cross the land

The Traveling Doll Project was soon at hand!

The Traveling Doll Project begins...

This is how it works:

Each team of 6 Dollmakers will end up with 6 Dolls.

Every team member will begin

 a Doll and a Travel Journal/Scrapbook

The Journal goes with the Doll on her Journey,

as the Doll visits, one by one, each of the six Dollmakers

(some of which are located in other countries!)

Some of the dolls made last year, at various stages in their creation.

So, each Dollmaker adds her own touch to the Doll

and sends it on to the next Dollmaker.

And in the end, the Doll returns to it's original owner!

This Dollmaker can't WAIT to get started!

Okay folks... here's a match made in heaven...

The Dollmaker

is now a member of the

Hattitude!

Red Hatter Hat Decor!

Dollmaker's Vision: A photograph with all the Red Hat Society Ladies wearing these pins!

Ah, winter... Back to the Unfinished Paintings... Still working on this one...

The Travertine Cliffs

So, on the very first day of the year, 

on January 1st

the Dollmaker was sitting on her front porch 

with a cup of decaf and a blank mind, 

and what should appear right before her eyes?

A Bluebird.

The Dollmaker stared.

She couldn't remember ever having seen a Bluebird. 

Not on this property or anywhere, really.

An unusual appearance from the Animal Kingdom. Aha!

Even if the Dollmaker might have been expecting... well...

you know, a Black Panther, or possibly an Albino Buffalo.....

 a Bluebird is good too.

Seems like this might be a good omen 

for the upcoming year.

and

23 years old!

Love many

Trust few

Always paddle your own canoe.

-quote possibly from this old song....

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Who_wrote_love_many_trust_few_learn_to_paddle_your_own_canoe