Dolls of the World Native American Barbie First Edition 1992

There was a time when I wasn’t so keen on the Diva headmold and the very name Midge would bring one particular face that I wasn’t fond of, to put it mildly. That was Midge expecting a baby. And it’s not the round belly that would put me off so much, I actually don’t mind it though I look at Mattel’s interpretation of the miracle of birth with mixed feelings. No, it was her egg-shaped head that I didn’t find attractive, to say the least. She looked positively Hercules Poirot! So when one of my Superstars broke her fingers I selected a Midge doll to be cruelly beheaded. But in the end, I decided otherwise.  When I saw this doll that clearly hadn’t had an easy life, I ordered some hair for rerooting. That was my first reroot and I abandoned the idea of giving her bangs (too complicated) and the result was that my Midge had that Hercule Poirot egg for a head, but guess what! It doesn’t bother me at all. I actually like it! That poor doll changed my view of Divas completely and now I crave for them. I want them in a great number and variety and my newest one, well nearly, is the gorgeous, raven- black hair Native American Barbie First Edition 1992!

Composing this entry took some time and countless photos and selecting only 15 was impossible. While doing my research I discovered that Mattel’s created a whole tribe of Native American Barbies. I’ve counted as many as 13 dolls! The Native American Barbie appeared 4 times within the DOTW series alone, and there was also a Toys’r’us exclusive, a Model Muse, and many, many others. So here they are and the pictures come from Mattel’s official website. The beauties below are well known, they are based on Diva and Teresa headmolds.

These two belong to the ambitious American stories Collection that deals with the history of the USA. So there’s a Pioneer Barbie, a Pilgrim Barbie, a Civil War Nurse, a Patriot Barbie and of course, Native Americans. There are two of them – a Superstar and a Teresa and they come with babies snug in their buffalo skin sacks. I adore the ebony hair Superstar! She just jumped on my wish list!

I’m not so familiar with the below Native Americans, but I’ve got to admit  that two of them are just ravishing! The Northwest Coast Barbie is based on the Goddess headmold for a reason! She’s just gorgeous and so is the Spirit of the Earth Barbie. Overall, the entire Spirit series is excellent. Princess of the Navajo is the embodiment of the inner harmony as well as the union with nature. She’s very proud and beautiful. The Wind Rider is as wild as a galloping mustang, but I find Model Muse too skinny. When I picture her as a real human being, I somehow can’t imagine a dieting Native American and that she would prefer berries and roots over a juicy buffalo on a skewer seems odd. She’s a gold label nonetheless.

I hope I haven’t left anyone out because it’s high time I introduced the star of this post. My Diva Native American is gorgeous and so much different from all the Midge redheads in the world. Her ebony hair and dark complexion are a perfect background for her chocolate brown eyes encircled with blue that really pops out and gives her eyes a unique shape. Her lips are deep red and that’s her entire make-up. A true beauty doesn’t need much.

I’m really glad that Mattel decided to give her a cream outfit that highlights her other colors. It really goes well with her raven black hair and her dark skin. The outfit consists of several elements and it’s surprising. The loose tasseled top with blue beads sewn up front can be taken off and it reveals a simple dress that, had it been a bit shorter would be just ordinary in a slightly boho manner. I actually like the doll better without the top.

The first Native American Barbie comes with a few accessories but my favorite would be the over-knee boots! These are just made out of the same fabric as the top and the dress, but my, aren’t they great! I love the blue detailing that makes them a little less simple and more intriguing. The dress is definitely too long and hides them, but I played the Perfume Pretty Barbie trick and now you can see them better. The remaining accessories are a tasseled purse on a long strap and silver jewelry that doesn’t look accurate to me. I would rather have her wear some feathers or some tusks that once belonged to a very wild animal, but plastic please!

This is the first DOTW Diva in my collection and I’m just extatic to finally own her. There’s just something about DOTW dolls that makes them so irresistible to me. I’ve hardly crossed the Native American out of my list and another DOTW is now on her way. This time it’s somebody from the 80s and I just can’t wait to welcome her.