This week marks the return of the Katsina (Kachina) to the Hopi villages. These spirits are believed to return to the Hopi people from their home in the San Francisco peaks. One of our favorite Hopi Carvers, Poleyestewa, has created a collection of dolls in honor of this time.
The Bean Dance began this week, taking place on all of the Hopi Mesas but not always on the same day. Most Hopi people, regardless of their location, strive to return to their villages to participate in this dance, which marks the beginning of the planting season.
During this ceremony, Katsina brings doll gifts to the girls. These Katsina depict the arms against their torsos with their hands in front of them. Poleyestewa says that their arms and hands are folded against their bodies because they are enacting the birth of the season, just as a child is born with their arms tucked against their torso.
Later in the year, the Katsina will move their arms away from their bodies and become more active, just as a child would.
Poleyestewa carves almost all of his dolls in the same posture. "I do that because that is the traditional way a doll that will be given to a young girl is carved." In the Hopi culture, the women and children are gifted with dolls and the first harvest of bean sprouts. A few katsina bring these in the early morning hours. This harvest is prayed upon, and the bean sprouts will multiply in abundance! This miracle of prayer allows the women to prepare a special stew of bean sprouts that the family will feast on this day.
The young women then hang the dolls on the walls of their bedrooms as reminders.
The first Katsina, or rather, Deity, to appear in the Bean Dance is "Ash." As this Katsina moves around the plaza, he takes all of the illness, mental and physical, from the people watching the dance. He is purifying the people to ensure the health of the plants in the growing season.
After Ash finishes, the other Katsina will appear and dance. This ceremony is important for the people of the Hopi mesas and marks the beginning of a successful growing season. Poleyestewa's dolls are carved from traditional cottonwood roots and painted with clay and mineral slips. He has been carving Katsina dolls for over 60 years and has lectured at several major universities.
Some people have asked what the difference is between a Kachina and a Katsina. There is no real difference. The Hopi Tribe, several years ago, decided that Katsina was the traditional name; however, many carvers still use the name Kachina. We tried to honor whatever the carver wanted his dolls to be called, and Poleyestewa preferred "Katsina."
I had a lot of help with this email from Paulita Lomaomvaya, a wonderful Hopi woman who is one of our associates at the Galley and our resident Hopi expert!
