Skookum Indian Dolls

Mary Dwyer McAboy, the originator of the Skookum Indian doll, was born in 1876 in Fairfield, Maine. Mary spent her childhood days at Red Lake Falls, Minnesota. Mary’s mother was the first to make apple head Indian dolls wrapped in blankets, which she gave to friends and sold at social events. This provided the inspiration for Mary’s Skookum Indian dolls.

Mary began producing Skookum Indian dolls commercially after the death of her husband in 1913. The first Skookum dolls began with the drying of an apple. The apple, used for the head, was pinched into facial features, black pinheads were set in for eyes, and black cotton string was added for hair. These first dolls were formed with a central block of wood as a core. Stuffing was then wrapped around the form and covered with fabric. These were freestanding but had no feet attached to the base. Mary was granted a design patent for her Skookum dolls in 1914 and production began in her father’s garage. At the end of a year Mary was ready to pass part of the production responsibility on to “stronger shoulders”.

By 1920 Mary McAboy moved to Denver, Colorado and merged her business with a large western company. Her dolls had caught the eye of a shrewd businessman named Harry Heye Tammen, creator, owner, and operator of the H. H. Tammen Curio Company of Denver – where Skookum Indian dolls were manufactured and distributed for over 45 years. The Indian dolls were only a part of Tammen’s curio business, and Mary was hired as head of Skookum assembly. She oversaw the production of her dolls for 38 years until her retirement in 1952.

Production techniques and materials changed over the years. Early dolls heads were made of dried apples with the bodies made of wood and filled with either leaves, straw, twigs or grass stuffed in a muslin sack. Later the dolls were made from composition and had mohair wigs. Later dolls were made of plastic and had plastic brown shoes. They have "Indian style" blankets as part of their attire. Some had jewelry such as beaded necklaces or earrings. Some dolls have feathered head dresses. The sizes of the dolls ranged from babies inside of cradle boards to large, human size store display dolls. The general rule of thumb is the larger the doll, the more valuable/rare they are. The most common sizes range from about seven inches to about 12 inches tall. Skookums were widely imitated. Minnetonka, Milbros or Minnehaha dolls are similar but not the same. Skookums do not have arms - they are wrapped with blankets and have the suggestion of arms. Skookums never have gray hair as in "elders". Skookums should have the words "Skookum" either stamped on their brown plastic shoes or a tag with "Skookum" on their foot in the case of the older versions

The word Skookum is an old slang term still used today in the northwest part of the United States. It means “excellent” or “mighty”. Most Skookum dolls were made so they look to the right. According to shamanic healing beliefs it is speculated that right-glancing eyes indicates health and recovery, while left-glancing eyes indicate a path of death or misfortune. The more rare left-glancing dolls were made in fewer numbers.

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"Sorting Out Stereotypes", a traveling exhibit created by Kauffman Museum at North Newton, Kansas will be at Prairie Museum of Art and History during February and March. Major funding has been provided by Kansas Humanities Council. These Skookum Indian dolls and many other items from the Prairie Museum collection will make up a companion exhibit. 

Visit the Kauffman Museum website at: kauffman.bethelks.edu