Creation of a Hopi Kachina Doll (1960)

Synopsis

Hopi Kachinas is a short film from 1960, photographed by Jack Breed and produced by ACI Productions, that shows the creation of a doll and the role the carved figure plays in the Hopi religion and culture. The film opens with shots of the San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff, AZ, and of Arizona’s rocky plateau. Hopi Indians stand on adobe homes with wagons out front. Hopi people dance along a dirt road during what appears to be a Kachina celebration (01:10). A man gives a Kachina to a young girl. The film shows several different Kachina dolls (02:15), each representing something different. Renowned carver Jimmy Kewanwytewa creates a Kachina Mana doll (02:33). Next, he creates a headdress for the doll, using a piece of sandstone to smooth the wood. He then paints the doll. Kewanwytewa admires his finished doll (05:08). The film shows more Kachina dolls, then cuts back to the Hopi dance (05:50). Men dance using juniper boughs as part of the ceremony. A man (it appears to be Kewanwytewa) and his daughter walk on a dirt road with the San Francisco Peaks looming in the background (07:25). He gives her the Kachina doll. Hopi katsina figures (Hopi language: tithu or katsintithu), also known as kachina dolls, are figures carved, typically from cottonwood root, by Hopi people to instruct young girls and new brides about katsinas or katsinam, the immortal beings that bring rain, control other aspects of the natural world and society, and act as messengers between humans and the spirit…

Uploader's description on archive.org

Details

Running time

8 minutes

Collection

Ephemeral Films

Subjects on the Internet Archive

• Stock Footage