Kachina Stories As Told By
Poleyestewa, Part 2

By Rebekah Powers | May 2024

Polyestewa is one of those enigmatic figures you might imagine in a movie. He is hard to pin down, appearing and disappearing at will. He has a deep understanding of Hopi history and when the time is right, he appears with his warm smiling face and brings his latest collection of dolls along with their history, backstory and meaning to Chimayo Trading.

This week we are featuring several of the largest and most important kachinas, starting with the impressive Sunface. Just like the planet it represents, Sunface brings warmth, signaling a bright future, streaming energy from the rays of the sun, which are represented by the feathers emanating out from the center. Poleyestewa tells me that Hopi are sun worshippers and consider the Sunface a very important kachina that moves as part of a group, standing to the side, overseeing everything.

The Male and Female Shalako are also powerful entities, transforming winter’s death into spring’s rebirth. I asked if the male and female were brother and sister or a couple. He tells me that the Hopi of 3rd Mesa do not label them so. In the dances, these figures tower over all the others, from 9 to 10 feet tall and they represent the male and female aspects of the deity that launches the planting season, the beginning of the Hopi year. They are truly special to see and appear only once every 20 years.

Then, in a reverent tone, Poleyestewa began the talking about Crow Mother, the mother of all kachinas and I was captivated by stories I had never heard or read before about this particular very popular kachina. I wonder if everyone who owns a Crow Mother knows what an important role she played in Hopi life. Poleyestewa describes her, revered and dignified, wearing a black manta or shalako blanket as she descends into the sacred kiva for initiation ceremonies for the young men of the tribe. She is accompanied by two of her “warrior sons”, one on each side and everyone shows her the highest respect.

But perhaps the most dramatic moment comes in the last dance of the season, when Crow Mother reappears resplendent in a white wedding gown. She becomes a bride on the last day, joined by all of the young women who had been married that year, and in that way, she touches all of the young men and women who carry the hopes and dreams of the future of the Hopi.

We are thankful to Poleyestewa, a talented, knowledgeable carrier of Hopi tradition who can tell a good story and is willing to share with us the shadows of meaning that overlay his carvings. When asked about his deep affection for the dolls he creates, he shared one touching detail. When he has finished carving, he begins painting the face. But before he can go to sleep that night, he said he must finish opening their eyes, which “brings them to life”. He said he has great joy when he opens his eyes in the morning and one of his “children” is looking at him! When asked if he has a favorite, the very animated answer was “No! They are all deserving a blue ribbon. They are each first place. There is no second place!”

The kachinas are indeed gathering again… at Chimayo Trading… choose yours from among the latest! Watch for Part 3 of Stories by Poleyestewa. Where the past and the present meet in our expansive adobe gallery rooms.

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