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Show Kachina Dolls Replicas Of Masked Hop! Dancers Kachina Dolls - the multicolored multi-colored wooden figurines you see at most Southwest Indian Arts and Crafts Shops - are irepl'ioas of masked dancers lused nr Hopi Indian ceremonial cere-monial dances. To the Hopis, the Kachina is a supernatural being that lives in the Saw Francisco iPeafes near Flagstaff. Dui ing ceremonials certain tribal tri-bal members are designated designat-ed as standins, so to speak, iflcc the mythical Kachinas. Th e y wear appropriate masks and paint, and serve sis go-between for jgod's and 'mortals. Not all Ka chinas are good. Some, such' as the Black Ogre and Red Demons, are Ohindi-cnindi (bad-bad). The Kachina is sacred to the Indian tribes. When a man dons the masks painting paint-ing his body to match, he loses identity with the real Vvorfd! aiboliilt him and becomes be-comes that being he is portraying, por-traying, transposed to another an-other state. As the Japanese Japan-ese Kabuki, both male and female Kachinas are portrayed por-trayed by male members of the tribe. The wooden Kachina Dolls are used as a teaching! instrument in-strument for Indian children, child-ren, to familiarize them with the- 250 Kachinas they will see in their lifetime. The idea of the doll is comparatively new;, no more than 100 years dd, but the concept of the masked dancer dates back into prehistoric times. Kach- linas of 11th and 12th cen-ilury cen-ilury vintage may still be seen in drawings on the walls of Kivas. The Kachina myth might be compared to our Santa plaus. During a ceremony older children carefully conceal con-ceal from younger ones that it-he Kachina they watch may Ibe someone they know. This would shatter the illusion the Kachina is conveying to the children. Dolls are given giv-en to children not as toys but as objects to be treasured treasur-ed and studied to familiarize familiar-ize tihem with that particular particul-ar Kachina role during a given ceremony. Prior to a ceremony, relatives rel-atives are busy making dolls Ito- distribute to all children in the Village. On the day of the ceremony, the Ka-ichina Ka-ichina representing the doll presents the replica to the children. As are .all child-iron child-iron who receive something, "coveted, they .are awed. The dolls 'are taken home and displayed so all children mav see them, learn ittiteir names and ways and have a better, lurfdlaratemdilng of the ceremony. cere-mony. The dolls are not presented pre-sented as tokins, but as instruments in-struments of learning, a part of religious training. Cradle Kachinas with masques and iflat 8" bodies are put in the cribs of infants. It is impossible to classify Ka(ch3nas. Mamy are identical iden-tical in appearance, but have dfferent roles and actions. ac-tions. There are five major roles. Mong .Kachinas - or chiefs, most important in flhie 9-day ceremonies! that (include Bean Dance, Home Dance, Water Serpent ceremony, cere-mony, etc. There are about 30 Mong Kachinas. All are Chiefs. Clowns - to entertain Iduring more serious moments, mom-ents, sometimes to distract onlookers so they do not see acts of magic performed, just tliie results ; Runners -who pit the,;r strength against the young. If a boy is outrun out-run he is humiliated; if he wins,, the Kachina presents him with a prize; Singles-the Singles-the most prevalent Kachina. men of the Kiva fraternity who perform dances whenever when-ever the spirit moves them. Ka china-Manas- women Kachinas. Ka-chinas. portraved by men of the clan: and Naked Kach-inas Kach-inas - portrayed by young men of the pueblo under the puberty age. If you doubt the existence of Kachinas, ask a Hopi. Better still, ask an Indian child if there is a Nata-aska (Black Ogre). He will probably prob-ably run and hide. Ttui Hack Ogre swallows children-whole. |