Braiding Corn Husks

   This week, as many people have posted about, we were shown how to make dolls out of corn husks. It was so interesting! Professor Anderson was an extremely generous woman who took time out of her own busy day to craft dolls with our class. I know that we have begun a new book, but I couldn’t help but notice many things that were discused in our previous book.
   Professor Anderson was giving us gifts. She was teaching us how to make something of our own that we can pass on. She gave us her time and effort. Additionally, she gave us her corn husks. You could clearly tell that she enjoyed sharing her culture and education with the class.
   Also, she immersed us in our learning. Although we were still enclosed in the classroom, we still worked and learned with a tactile lesson. I don’t think we would have appreciated it had we watched a YouTube video on How to Make a Corn Husk Doll. Kimmerer also immersed her students into their subject matter. It’s a better way to teach and learn.
   Reciprocity is what makes the world go round to Kimmerer. In making the dolls, this was partly true. Professor Anderson gave us the supplies, and in favor we gave her joy. I do not think that there was a single time that she was not smiling.  When making the dolls, people helped eachother. I saw classmates helping others braid or tie knots. I was sitting with my sister, Holly, when we crafted our dolls. We helped eachother decide where to tie a knot, or what size the strip of the husk needed to be. It was great being able to help my sister, and to know that she would help me.
   The dolls were fun to make. Like I previously stated, we were in a class but it was not boring. After Holly and I went home, we were able to share the dolls that we made. Since it was Valentines Day, we gave them to our little sister as a “valentine”. She loved them!