Home ยป Museum Minute: A Toy Horse and Doll

Museum Minute: A Toy Horse and Doll

Toys are a great example of how historians learn about people’s everyday lives. Hunter Old Elk, the Assistant Curator of the Plains Indian Museum, said a great example in the collection is a toy horse and doll.

“This is supposed to represent the nomadic culture of the Plains,” said Old Elk. “So a female figure in a child’s life would create these toys to teach lessons about everyday life.”

Old Elk said it was also given to children so that they could help learn self-care and play. She said boys and girls got different types of toys to help teach their different roles expected of them when they grow up.

“Young girls would be given dolls and toy teepees to learn about caretaking, while boys would be given toys, representative of weaponry so that they can learn hunting and warfare,” said Old Elk.

Toy Doll & Horse Northern Plains, ca. 1900 Made of tanned hide, glass beads, horsehair and pigments Gift of Lucile M. Wright; NA.507.18

Museum Minute was a series co-produced with Wyoming Public Media (WPM).

Written By

Kamila Kudelska avatar

Kamila Kudelska

Kamila Kudelska was the multimedia journalist for the Center and for Wyoming Public Media. In that role she told the hidden stories of all five museums and reported on the news of northwest Wyoming. Kamila has worked as a public radio reporter in California, Poland and New York. She enjoys skiing (both downhill and crosscountry) and loves to read. Since has since taken on a larger role with Wyoming Pubic Media.

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