What do kachina dolls symbolize?
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.
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Are kachina dolls valuable?
Today, both old and new kachina dolls are among the most desirable collectibles in the Native American crafts market, and sell for a few hundred dollars, up to as much as $250,000 — the price paid for an early and rare traditional kachina.
Are kachina dolls Hopi or Navajo?
The Hopi were the original Kachina Doll carvers, using a single piece of cottonwood root. The Navajo began carving in their own creative way, adding leather, feather, beads and turquoise.
What are the different kachina dolls?
The Animal kachinas include:
- Antelope (Chop/Sowi-ing)
- Fox Dancer.
- Great Horned Owl (Mongwu)
- White Bear (Hon)
- Turkey (Koyona)
- Deer Dancer (Sowi-ingwa)
- Badger.
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.
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.
What Native American tribe made kachina dolls?
Native American Hopi artists carve kachina dolls, representing spirits of ancestors. Children learn about the kachina spirits while they play with the dolls. Chöp, the antelope kachina, wood, pigment, yarn, and feathers, Native American, Hopi Pueblo, 20th century; in the Brooklyn Museum, New York.
What is the difference between Hopi and Navajo?
The Navajo and Hopi tribes have occupied the same territory for centuries, though Navajos tended to be more nomadic sheepherders and Hopis mostly resided on three mesas towering above the surrounding desert. In 1882, President Chester Arthur designated 2.4 million acres in Arizona for the Hopi Tribe and other Indians.
What is kachina mean?
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. Each tribe has its own kachinas, which are believed to reside with a tribe for half of each year.
What do kachinas do?
Although not worshipped, each kachina is viewed as a powerful being who inspires only respect and honor and, if given that respect, can use their powers for human good: to bring rainfall, healing, protection and fertility. Hopi kachina dolls are neither idols to be worshipped nor icons to pray to.