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This little book is a precious glimpse into Hopi religious life. From the very beginning, the reader is indoctrinated into the difference between kachina and katsina dolls and is educated about the important role katsina dolls played in every day Hopi life.
The Hopi are a peaceful, communal farming people, who live in adobe and stone villages in northeastern Arizona. The land is high desert with scant rain and a short growing season. So, the Hopi are to be commended for their great skill in managing to bring in crops of corn, beans, and squash in such an environment.
Examples of katsina dolls have been carved into stone as early as the 1100s and wooden figures appeared shortly after that. The arrival of Pedro de Tovar, an adjutant of Coronado in 1540, brought the Hopi into contact with Spanish explorers. Franciscan friars came in their wake about 80 years later and attempted to force the Hopi to abandon their "pagan" ways. Unfortunately, these zealous religious men destroyed many katsina shrines and religious artifacts. Outraged, the Hopi revolted. Spain tried to regain control of the native peoples into the eighteenth century, when the Spanish finally gave up on their quest.
American newcomers first entered Hopi lands in about 1830, unfortunately bringing with them smallpox. Some of the Hopi fled to Zuni, bringing some of the Zuni katsina back with them once the epidemic was over.
Americans cherished the katsina dolls and a hearty trade of these religious artifacts began in the late nineteenth century. Although many Hopi later adopted Christianity, their determination to preserve Hopi culture and tradition remains a struggle.
The katsina are "Cloud people" because they may take cloud form and are the spiritual portrayal of Hopi ancestors. Many Hopi girls are raised with a Hahay' iwuuti or katsina mother in their cradles and the moon katsina helps to set the time for ceremonies to begin. The Water Serpent katsina, with his cone-shaped ears and colorful features, is a rare guest at plaza dances.
Some katsina have no religious significance at all. The Homichi or Field Mouse, for example, is the embodiment of a Hopi folk tale about a mouse who defeated a prairie falcon.
The Hopi year begins in November, when secret rites are performed ushering in the new year. The solstice katsina returns to the village in late December, haltingly proceeding through the village while blessing sacred places. Social dances are held in January and the Bean Dance in February.
Katsina dolls are usually made from the roots of cottonwood trees and it takes a real expert to free the katsina buried inside the wood. Carvers may travel hundreds of miles, searching for the perfect carving material. Katsina doll collectors may appreciate such workmanship, but care must also be taken to understand the religious tradition and significance upon which these dolls are based. Only then can the true voice of the katsina be heard.
