Pueblo Indian Kachinas
The Kachinas are spirit beings in Pueblo cosmology
and religion. They appeared in the Hopi,
Zuni, Acoma, and Laguna cultures over two hundred years before the arrival of
the Spaniards, spreading in later times to the Rio Grande Pueblos from contact
with the Laguna. The Zuni believe that
Kachinas live in the Lake of the Dead, which is reached through Listening
Spring Lake located at the junction of the Zuni River and the Little Coloarado
River. Within Hopi mythology, the
Kachinas are said to live on the San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff. The concept of Kachina, which is represented
best in Hopi culture, includes dancers (masked members impersonating Kachinas)
and the dolls, themselves, representing the Kachinas which are given to
children to teach them respect for such beings. As indicated in my collection, Kachinas can represent anything
existing in the natural or supernatural world.
There are more than four hundred kachinas listed by ethnologists for
Pueblo culture, the greatest number belonging to the Hopi people. The actual religious pantheon of Kachinas
varies with each Pueblo community, including Kachinas for the sun, stars,
thunderstorms, wind, corn, insects, and many other aspects of Pueblo
culture. The Pueblo understand Kachinas
as having human relationships, such as in uncles, sisters, and
grandmothers. They may even marry and
have children. Although they are not
worshipped, each Kachina is considered a powerful being who, if respected and
venerated properly, will use his or her powers to influence human beings to do
good, bring rainfall, heal the sick, increase fertility, and, as in the case
the Roadrunner Kachina, guard against evil forces. Among the Hopi, Kachina dolls are traditionally carved by the
uncles and given to uninitiated girls at the Bean Dance (Spring Bean Planting
Ceremony) and Home Dance Ceremony in the summer. To view a Kachina, click on
to its corresponding number.
1. Cloud Dancer 2.
Mudhead 3. Eagle Dancer 4. Roadrunner 5. Butterfly Maiden 6.
Ogre 7. Stripes (Koshari) 8. Buffalo Dancer