Kachina dolls originated with the Hopi tribe. They were given to Hopi children during ceremonies, then hung on the wall and studied afterward. Kachina dolls were made in the image of the spirits worshipped by the tribe. They were not toys to play with, but religious icons to celebrate and contemplate.

Where did Kachina originate?

The origin of kachinas is not completely known but according to Hopi oral traditions, these mostly benevolent spiritual beings came from the underworld with the Hopi people. They emerged from the ground near the villages where the Hopi continue to live today.

What Native American tribe made kachina dolls?

Hopi katsina figures (Hopi language: tithu or katsintithu), also known as kachina dolls, are figures carved, typically from cottonwood root, by Hopi people to instruct young girls and new brides about katsinas or katsinam, the immortal beings that bring rain, control other aspects of the natural world and society, and ...

When were Kachina invented?

Most of the Kachina dolls were invented in the late 19th century and can be separated chronologically by their look in four periods: the Early Traditional, Late Traditional, Early Action and Late Action periods. The Early Traditional Period lasted from 1850 to 1910.

Are Kachinas Navajo?

The Kachina has no spiritual significance in Navajo culture; it is a craft learned as a way for some Navajo people to earn a living. Navajo craftspeople have used concepts from many cultures over the years.

Kachina Dolls - a brief history

Are kachinas real?

Overview. Kachinas are spirits or personifications of things in the real world. These spirits are believed to visit the Hopi villages during the first half of the year. The local pantheon of kachinas varies from pueblo community to community.

Who are the kachinas and why are they important?

Kachinas can be spirits of deities, animals, and even deceased members of the Pueblo known for special kindness or prowess. One such Kachina, He-e-wuhti, wears the black face of a warrior. She is powerful and terrible to behold.

Why are Kachinas called dolls?

They believe that when winter arrives, spirit beings known as Kachinas (also called Katsinas) come to Earth bearing messages from the great spirits. After the spring planting season ends, the Kachinas return to the spirit world. ... At the end of these ceremonies, they give Kachina dolls to the children.

Who makes Kachina dolls?

A Kachina doll is a carved, painted, costumed doll made by Southwest Native Americans, primarily the Hopi tribe. The dolls are dressed in the costume of a particular Hopi spirit and the dolls are usually presented to a child as a gift.

How many Kachina dolls are there?

There are more than 250 different Kachinas, each with its own separate attributes, representing everything from animals to abstract concepts. The Hopi were the original Kachina Doll carvers, using a single piece of cottonwood root.

Are Hopi and Navajo the same?

The Hopi language comes from the Uto-Aztecan language family and is related to Shoshone, Comanche and Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs. The Navajo language comes from the Athapaskan language family and is related to the languages of the Cibecue and Tonto Apaches and languages spoken in California, Alaska and Canada.

What does kachina mean?

What Do Kachina Dolls Symbolize? The word "kachina" comes from the Hopi word "kachi," which means "spirit." Kachina dolls symbolize Ketsinam, or spirits of nature. Tribes of the Southwest believed that aspects of nature could be personified by Ketsinam. These include rain, crops, animals, ancestors, and more.

Are Hopi and Pueblo the same?

The Hopi are a Native American tribe who primarily live on the Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona. ... The Hopi encountered Spaniards in the 16th century, and are historically referred to as Pueblo people, because they lived in villages (pueblos in the Spanish language).

What is kachina Pueblo?

A kachina is an ancestral spirit of the Pueblo Indians. There are more than 500 of these spirits, and they act as intermediaries between humans and the gods. ... Kachinas are also represented by small wooden dolls, carved and decorated by the men of the tribe.

What are Native American dolls called?

Among American Indian dolls, the kachina doll of the Pueblo Indians is noteworthy. … relic of early culture, the kachina doll of the Pueblo Indians, while essentially an instructive sacred object, is played with by children as a means to learn the myths of their culture.

Are kachina dolls sacred?

The kachina dolls are sacred objects used in the ceremonies, from February to July. The dolls are given to children in the off-season so they don't forget what the deities look like. ... The Hopi dolls can take from a week to a month to carve. Tradition dictates that only men carve the cottonwood figures.

Is the Hopi tribe part of the Navajo Nation?

The Hopi Tribe is a sovereign nation located in northeastern Arizona. The reservation occupies part of Coconino and Navajo counties, encompasses more than 1.5 million acres, and is made up of 12 villages on three mesas.

Where was the Hopi tribe located?

The Hopi Tribe Reservation is located in northeastern Arizona in Coconino and Navajo Counties. The Reservation is made up of 12 villages on three mesas (known as First, Second, and Third Mesa) on more than 1.5 million acres.

What is Hopi pottery?

Hopi pottery today is a legacy of the old abandoned Hopi pueblo of Sikyatki. Hopi clay is fired to shades of cream to apricot or light red, depending upon iron content. The most famous Hopi potter is probably Nampeyo, who revived many of the Sikyatki designs in the 1880's.

Why are Kachinas so important?

Kachina means "life-bringer," and various kachina rituals and ceremonies are believed to be essential in securing the growth of crops, the summer rains, and good health in an extreme climate. ... The Kachinas, in turn, can be viewed as those divine entities that regulate the phases of their terrestrial existence.

What is a Navajo kachina?

Kachina Dolls are models of the Kachinas and represent their likeness and traits. ... The Hopi were the original Kachina doll carvers, using a single piece of cottonwood root. Their traditions were not isolated and soon the Navajo began carving in their own creative way, adding leather, feathers, fur, beads, and turquoise.

Why did some Hopi oppose selling Kachinas to outsiders?

The selling of kachinas to outsiders was opposed because the figures were a hallowed part of Hopi culture. ... The carvings are examples of the fine artistry of the Hopi.

What are Kachinas in the Hopi tribe?

kachina, Hopi katsina, in traditional religions of the Pueblo Indians of North America, any of more than 500 divine and ancestral spirit beings who interact with humans. ... These wooden dolls are used to teach the identities of the kachinas and the symbolism of their regalia.

What is a New Mexico native called?

New Mexico's Unique Native American Communities. There are 23 Indian tribes located in New Mexico - nineteen Pueblos, three Apache tribes (the Fort Sill Apache Tribe, the Jicarilla Apache Nation and the Mescalero Apache Tribe), and the Navajo Nation.

Is Navajo an Apache?

The Navajo and the Apache are closely related tribes, descended from a single group that scholars believe migrated from Canada. When the hunter-gatherer ancestors of the Navajo and Apache migrated south, they brought their language and nomadic lifestyle with them. ...