The History of Kachina Dolls
Though Kachina dolls are currently a popular type of Native American collectible art, they are traditionally a significant cultural artifact among the Hopi, one of the Native American tribes living in the Pueblos (Spanish for "villages") of Arizona. For the Hopi, Kachina dolls fulfill a variety of roles significant to their culture.
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The Kachina Spirits
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"Kachina" is a Hopi term meaning a variety of things, but it is most simply defined as "sacred." The Kachina are the holy spirits of the earth, sky, water, corn, animals, dieties, ancestors and deceased members of the Pueblo.
The Hopi believe these spirits once lived among them, but the people ignored them. Upset, the spirits became invisible and moved to the holy mountains of the southwest, such as San Francisco Mountain, but not before they taught the Hopi the joy of dancing and the sacred dances still performed today.
Kachina Dancers
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Kachina dancers represent specific Kachina spirits and wear masks that signify the spirit they embody; when the dancers wear the mask they become the spirit personified. These dancers act as messengers and intermediaries between the Kachina spirits and the Hopi people. Though there are male and female spirits, all Kachina dancers are male. The Kachina dancers are present and dance at the special festivals occurring between the winter solstice and mid-July.
In between dances, the Kachina dancers bestow gifts of Kachina dolls to the girls (usually given by an uncle to a niece), bows and arrows to the boys, and rattles, candy and fruit to all children. -
Traditional Kachina Dolls
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Traditionally, the Hopi carved Kachina dolls from the soft root of the cottonwood tree. Very basic in design, the dolls were flat and painted to depict the dancers who embody one of 200 to 300 Kachina spirits.
The dolls have primarily been used as an educational tool to teach children to identify the different Kachina spirits and dancers who represent the spirits, and the spirits' stories and religious significance. The dolls also symbolize the blessings the Hopi have enjoyed, and hope for abundance and wealth in the future.
Some examples of Kachina dolls include the chief, the corn maiden, the ceremonial dancer, the singer, the ogre, the buffalo, the badger, the crow, the hawk, clouds, the sun and the rainbow.
Kachina Dolls as Art
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During the 20th century, Hopi artists emerged who spent their lives focusing on developing the craft of carving elaborate Kachina dolls. As a result, the dolls have evolved to become their own art form; authentic Hopi Kachina dolls can cost thousands of dollars.
Other Tribes
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Other tribes, including the Navajo and Apache, adopted the art of carving Kachina dolls.Less expensive than the Hopi version (some cost less than 100 dollars), the artists incorporate fur, cloth and feathers in the dolls' design. Though beautiful, these dolls are not authentic Kachina dolls.
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