Native American Kachina Dolls, Information about Kachina dolls

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Kachinas (or katsinas) are actually stylized religious icons, meticulously carved from cottonwood root and painted to represent figures from Hopi mythology. Originally used to teach children about their religion, they have become a popular Hopi art form. In Pueblo religious practices, Kachina (also spelled Katsina) refers to three related things:

• Supernatural entities or spirits capable of influencing the natural world.
• The men of the tribe dressed and masked to represent the Kachinas in traditional dances/ceremonies. Their beliefs are that such dancers actually become the spirits they represent for the duration of the ceremony. Even though there are male and female Kachinas, only men can represent them.
• In Hopi and Zuni tribes, masked dolls which represent Kachina spirits, made (by the Hopi) of cottonwood root or (by the Zuni) of pine. They are presented to the women and children of the tribe and are kept in the home as fetish objects.

The Kachina are ancestral spirits which act as intermediaries between humans and the gods. The identity of each Kachina is depicted by the specific shape of the mask, intricate use of color, and elaborate ornamentation with feathers, leather, and fabric. Each Kachina is also portrayed using distinct behavior, dance steps, gestures, and vocalizations.

Each kiva is home to a secret society which (generally) reveres a single Kachina. Members of the kiva take on the identity of the Kachina spirit they revere. Upon reaching puberty, young men in the Pueblo are inducted into a kiva, where they learn the secrets associated with that Kachina. Women are not members of kivas, although they are taught the mythology and religious practices in a more general way.

Different Pueblo cultures adhere to their secrecy pledges to different degrees. The Hopi, for example, have allowed their religious dances to become tourist attractions and freely sell Kachina dolls and masks to non-Hopis. The Zunis, on the other hand, have traditionally been much more secretive about their religious practices.

Over 300 different Kachinas have been identified across Pueblo cultures.

The word "Hopi" literally means the "righteous people," or the "correct people." Within Hopi mythology, the Kachinas are said to live on the San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff, Arizona. The most important Hopi Kachinas are called wuya.

The Zuni believe that the Kachinas live in the Lake of the Dead, a mythical lake which is reached through Listening Spring Lake located at the junction of the Zuni River and the Little Colorado River.

Three Types of Kachinas in Hopi Religion:

1. Supernatural Beings:

These Kachinas live in or around Flagstaff, Arizona. According to Dorothy Washburn author of the article "Hopi Kachina: Spirit of Life," these supernatural Kachinas unknowingly dispense "spiritual and physical favors to deserving Hopi" (48).

2. Human Personification:

During Hopi ceremonies the men of the tribe wear costumes and masks that closely resemble the Kachina that is being honored. To the Hopi, these men serve as an "intermediaries between the spiritual and natural worlds" (Jacka 61). In the eyes of the Hopi, the Kachina dancers become the human personification of the spirits (Negri 15). The ceremonies involving the Kachinas are extremely sacred. The Hopi believe that these ceremonial acts serve many purposes, such as bringing good weather and bountiful crops (Washburn 49). Participation in ritual ceremonies is vital to the Kachina religion, as a prayer or an observance isn't enough (List 414). The majority of the ceremonies are held in kivas which are underground ceremonial sites.

There are three main ceremonies during the year that involve Kachinas. From December to July the Hopi villages come to life with different Kachina ceremonies. The first major ceremony is Soyal. During this ceremony Kachinas emerge from the kivas slowly as though they have been sleeping for a very long time. The dancers perform rites that are meant to strengthen the Hopi tribe for the upcoming harvest.

The second major ceremony occurs in late February. This ceremony is referred to as the Powamu, or the Bean Dance. The significance of this ceremony is the hope for a successful germination of the crops to be planted later in the spring. During this ceremony dancers distribute bean sprouts that have been grown in heated kivas prior to the ceremony (Wright 5-6).

The third ceremony occurs in late July when the first maize of the season is ripe. This celebration is called the Home Dance. Following this ceremony the Kachinas return to their winter home in the mountains. This ceremony is a way for the Hopi to give thanks to the many Kachinas who have assisted them with their crops. During this ceremony corn, melons, and fruit are carried by the dancers as proof of a bountiful harvest (Washburn 52).

3. Dolls or Tihus:

From about one-year old until they are ten, Hopi girls receive two dolls each year. Above is a picture of a Kachina dancer and the doll form of the Kachina dancer. They are presented to them during the Bean Dance and the Home Dance. The dolls are only given to the women because the women of the tribe do not possess the same degree of contact with the supernatural as the men of the tribe do. Therefore, the men who dance and impersonate the different Kachinas carve small wooden replicas of themselves and present them to infants and girls (Wright 6).

Another purpose of the dolls is to familiarize the children with the different Kachina spirits. They also help to "keep kids in line," as is represented in the Ogre Woman Kachina. This Kachina goes door to door before the bean dance demanding food. She leaves the Hopi girls a couple grains of corn and says that she will be back, and if she isn't given food she will take the children. When she comes back she asks the children if they have been bad. Sometimes she will begin to pull the children by their feet to give them the idea that she is going to eat them. Before she can take them away a relative appeases the Ogre by telling her that the child has learned her lesson, and that it will never happen again. The moral of the story is that children learn that they must work hard and do all they can to contribute to the food supply (Negri 16).

Over the years other Indians and many non-Indians have begun carving and selling Kachina carvings and dolls. Kachina dolls produced by non-Hopi usually sell for less than authentic Hopi pieces. Nonetheless the practice is looked down upon by the Hopi, and they continually stress that there is no religious connection to the "fake" Kachina dolls and the Hopi religion (Negri 17).

References:

1. Jacka, Jerry. Art of the Hopi. Flagstaff, Az. northland Press, 1998.

2. List, George. "Hopi Kachina Dance Songs: Concepts and Context." Ethnomusicology 41.3 (1997): 413-419.

3. Negri, Sam. "Kachina Carving Artistry in Wood." Arizona Highways May 1993:15-17.

4. Washburn, Dorothy. "Hopi Kachina: Spirit of Life." American Indian Art magazine Summer 1980: 48-52.

5. Wright, Barton. Kachinas Flagstaff, Az. Northland Press, 1977.

6. www.hopimarket.com

7. www.cliffdwellingmuseum.com

8. www.crystalinks.com

http://www.metareligion.com/World_Religions/Ancient_religions/North...

Left to right: Hemes Kachina Mana,  Sun Kachina, Sun Kachina, Yellow Corn Maiden.

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Crow Dancer - Hopi

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Hemis Kachina

The Hemis Kachina, or Jemez Kachina, is  borrowed from other pueblos because of special attributes they possess.  The Hemis Kachina is the first kachina to bring mature corn to the people, indicating that the corn crop is assured. From Voodoo Mama's private collection.

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Mudhead Kachina

Koyemsi, or Mudhead Kachina, is a multi-faceted clown borrowed from Zuni. These kachinas appear in almost every Hopi dance.

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Yellow Corn Maiden

 

Her presence is a prayer for corn

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Whipper Kachina

Whipper Kachina keeps order at ceremonies.

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Sun Face

Sunface represents the spirit of the sun. Navajo, R. Begay.