Hopi Cultural Roles

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Religiously speaking, the dolls are there to help the young children become part of the Hopi people—through learning cultural values and duties from the dolls (Glowacka 2009:167). They learn to behave in a good manner and to not be lazy or do un-Hopi like things or else they may be ridiculed during the ceremonies where sometimes Kachinas pick on those that have misbehaved (Green 1991:208). The dolls also contain colors and symbols that have religious meaning. Each color represents something different, for instance, they may show where the Kachina comes from and the symbols help to aid the requests of the Hopi people. The Hopi are one of the few Native groups that were lucky enough to not lose sight of their roots (Page 1982; 146). However,…show more content…
The dolls are given from infancy into old age because they always keep learning from their dolls (Dockstader 1985:8; Colton 1959: 5). The spirits represented by the dolls are said to live in the San Francisco Mountains and come down for ceremonies (List 1997: 415). In these ceremonies, men dress up as the Kachinas and dance around and act clownish or act in un-Hopi like behaviors (Green 1991: 208). The Kachina dolls are given to young girls during these ceremonies. This lets the parents of the girls teach them more about the Hopi culture because they explain the significance of the certain doll they got (Dockstader 1985; 8). The dolls have also been around for a very long time and the difference can be seen from the more modern ones to the traditional ones. An example of a traditional Kachina doll is the Naho-Ile-Chiwa-Kopa-Choki, which means Cross Crown Kachina, this Kachina is very old and has had very little written about it (David 1993; 64). This doll is a traditional doll and it can be seen in its illustration to have cloud symbols, rain and crops, the mask has feathers and a snout. Another Kachina that shows to be more modern and be taken from another group is the Morzhivozi, which is Uncle to the Long-Haired Kachinas Kachina, this is a Kachina that was taken from eastern pueblos (David 1993; 122). This Kachina was inspired by a pueblo dancer and…show more content…
Consumerism and tourism changed what the Kachina dolls looked like, but like discussed by Rayna Green, it also expanded cultural awareness of the Hopi people which made them proud to share their culture (1991:208). Disney introduced Mickey Mouse, which was a representation of the Hopi mouse that fought a hawk and protected the people from hunger (Green 1991:208). This helped raise awareness of the brave mouse and the Hopi felt proud that their culture was being shared this way—positively. Tourism was a big part of the change of Kachina dolls, this is because the Hopi tried to produce dolls that the tourists might want to buy. This brought on different styles, materials, colors, symbols and accessories used. Different styles that were seen were that the Hopi started to make the dolls more in an action style. With materials, the style changed from simple things like pins to glue. And so on, tourism had a big impact on the Kachina dolls and the Hopi people because they had dolls just for the tourists. The changes brought on by tourism can be seen from very early on, to today. Many of the religious Kachina dolls sell for high prices and both the traditional and modern styles are sold. They can be seen at museums and other shops. The tourism affected the Hopi in a seemingly positive way because it allowed for growth in every aspect from their

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