Kachina DollsOf the Native American Indians

First, what is a Kachina?The Hopi Indians people live primarily in Arizona. The Hopi believe that the majority of spirits (Kachinas) reside on the Humphreys Peak, near where the Hopi live.

Each year, from winter until summer, these spirits, in the form of Kachinas, come down to the villages to dance and sing, to bring rain for the upcoming harvest, and to give gifts to the children.

The Kachinas are known to be the spirits of animals, or ancestors of the Hopi.

Before each Kachina ceremony, the men of the village will carefully make dolls representing a Kachina.

The dolls are then passed on to the daughters during the ceremony.

After the ceremony, the dolls are hung on the walls of the pueblo and are meant to be studied in order to learn about the Kachina. The dolls are a reminder of the Kachinas.

There are several common costumes on kachina dolls. Many kachina dolls include:

Shirts, sash, belt, robe, pants, leggings, dress, skirt, shoes, head dress

Kachina dolls can also carry accessories …….hand rattles made from gourds, bows and arrows, branches of Douglas fir, staffs, scissors, crooks with children, and colored corn.

Every symbol, color, and design on a Hopi kachina doll has definite meaning in connection with Hopi religion, custom, history, and way of life.[34] Animal tracks, bird tracks, celestial symbols, and vegetable symbols represent those particular spirits.

Steps to creating a kachina doll

1) The carver saws the cottonwood root to the right length2) He carves the general form of the doll with a knife3) He then carves the details4) Next, the carver rubs the doll with sandstone for a smooth finish5) He may also carve a headdress and other appendages with another piece of wood and then glue them onto the doll.6) The carver then puts on a finishing coat7) Next, he paint the doll with natural paints or store bought paints8) Finally, the carver will then attach decorations such as bird feathers and other accessories.