Kachina of the Pueblo I n the 1500s as the Spanish explored the Southwest they came upon villages which they called pueblos. They named the inhabitants Pueblo Indians. The Hopi and Zuni Pueblo Indians are best known for their kachina dolls and is the focus of this article. The word 'kachina' can have three meanings: 1) the benevolent spirit being who lives RQWKH6DQ)UDQFLVFR3HDNVMXVWQRUWKRI)ODJVWDͿ Arizona; 2) the masked impersonator who appears in dances and ceremonies of the Pueblos; or 3) the small carved doll representing a supernatural being. Left: This original painting by Hopi artist Hyran Nam entitled Nite Dance of the Hopi shows various katsinas climbing from a kiva into the night air. ca. 1996 Below Left: Two original prints commissioned by Jesse Walter Fewkes for the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institute. He was assigned by the Bureau of American Ethnology to compile a report on the Hopi Indians. He asked three Hopi artists to draw the katsinas in their culture. ca. 1903 Below: The 12-inch "Velvet Shirt" katsina doll or "Navan" katsina appears in a regular katsina dance. ca. 1940s 60 SPRING 2018