Native American Navajo Hopi Miniature Kachina Dolls

About the Artist

Loretta Multine is 1/2 Hopi Tobacco Clan and 1/2 Navajo Tachinii, "Red strike in water" and born for the Honeycomb Clan. She learned kachina carving in 1983 from her husband, who learned the craft from his grandfather. Loretta has been carving kachinas for over 25 years. She uses the root of the cottonwood tree for her creations.

About these Kachinas

White Bear - Appears in mixed dances, a powerful and healing kachina.

Hemis - Used in the Niman Kachina Dance, Hemis is also often referred to as the Niman Kachina. The Niman Kachina dance takes place in July, the time of ripened corn.

Butterfly - Not actually a kachina but a maiden who is dressed like a butterfly to participate in social (not ceremonial) dances, symbolizing the coming of spring, when butterflies migrate onto the corn fields and there is the gathering of rain clouds.

Crazy Rattle - AKA Crazy Rattle Runner, this kachina uses yucca to swat runners who lose a race. Those who win get piki bread.

References:
Hopi Kachina Dolls with a Key to their Identification, Harold S. Colton, Revised fifth edition 1959.
Hopi Kachinas, The Complete Guide to Collecting Kachina Dolls, Barton Wright, 1977.

About Kachinas

A kachina has three aspects. The supernatural being as it exists in the minds of the Hopis; the masked impersonator of the supernatural spirit; and the dolls that are made in the likeness of the masked impersonator of the supernatural spirit.

Kachinas represent the forces of nature, human, animal, plant, and act as intermediaries between the world of humans and the gods. Kachinas play an important part in the seasonal ceremonies of the Hopi. They represent generations of traditions that have been passed on and are the subject of a number of books. The simplified descriptions of the individual kachina dolls here is meant only as an introduction.

Small kachinas (dolls) are given to children to introduce the child to what each of the kachinas look like.

Traditionally, kachina dolls are created by Hopi or Zuni artists.