• Northwest Coast
  • Southwest Kachinas

Northwest Coast Woodcarving

Roll over image to see information Feast Bowl
Feast Bowl
Potlatch HatWolf Mask

The Northwest Coast of North America is a narrow strip of land that is bounded on the east by mountains and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. It runs from the southeastern part of Alaska for approximately 2000 miles to the northernmost tip of California, and is characterized by a temperate climate, heavy annual rainfall, and a rain forest of evergreen trees. This is a rugged coast of fjords and islands, where the mountains are steep and often come right to the sea. There are numerous rivers that run east-west through the mountains to the ocean. The dense coastal forests of red and yellow cedars, spruces, fir, and yew support abundant animal life: bear, mountain lion, wolf, fox, deer, elk, mountain goat, and many smaller species of mammals, including several furbearing types - beaver, mink, and otter. Riverine and ocean fish abound, as do marine mammals such as sea lions, seals, and whales. Tidal flats provide habitat for shellfish, and migratory waterfowl are plentiful.

This land of abundant resources provided a rich sustenance for the native peoples of the Northwest Coast. The population is estimated to have been more than 250,000 in pre-European times. There was great linguistic diversity in the area, with at least eight language families represented by more than twice that many languages. These people lived off the bounties of nature - hunting, fishing, and collecting the many resources available. They lived in permanent villages of large wooden houses and developed a complex and sophisticated socio-political and ritual life. (Click here to learn more.) They are famous for their dance dramas and beautiful artwork, particularly that done in wood, basketry, and textiles.

The Northwest Coast cultures are well-known for their magnificent woodworking traditions. From the large cedars and other trees of the area they built their huge houses, constructed great sea-going canoes, sculpted tall totem poles, and carved many beautiful boxes, bowls, dance masks, and other objects. Here we exhibit a sampling of Northwest Coast art in the SRJC Museum collection.

 

 

 

 

Hopi Kachina Figures

Katsina

Hummingbird Katsina

Katsina

Katsina

Crow Mother


Hemi Katsina

Hoote Katsina

Eagle Katsina

The Pueblo people were traditionally farmers, and, even in our contemporary world, some Hopi still raise the same crops as their ancestors - maize, beans, and squashes - using the old techniques that proved successful for farming in an arid and somewhat barren land. Hopi corn is planted in hills of small groups of plants that are widely separated from one another. In this way, there is less competition among the plants for what rain water is available, and each hill can more easily be hand watered when needed. But in this arid land, the Hopi have always known that to survive the erratic nature of the environment, they must also turn to the supernatural world for help. Thus, Hopi religion includes an annual ceremonial cycle that focuses upon maintaining the harmony of the world and the bringing of water and fertility to the people and their crops. The spirit beings known as the katsinam (katsina - singular and katsinam - plural) and the ceremonies revolving around them are the most important element in the Hopi belief system.

The katsinam represent ancestral spirits and the vital forces of life and the universe (including rain, wind, and fire). Some take the form of animals, plants, clouds, stars, and abstract elements. They bring the rain to grow Hopi crops and help keep the world in balance, but the Hopi believe they, the human beings, must carry out an annual round of ceremonies to ensure this. The katsinam home is in the San Francisco Peaks, west of the Hopi mesas. There they live for half the year, but at the winter solstice, or shortly thereafter, the katsinam arrive in the Hopi villages, where they stay until the summer solstice. While among the Hopi, they are the focus of several ceremonies. Katsina Mana

Often the most important rituals take place within the kiva, the sacred ceremonial structure of the Hopi. These rituals are hidden from public view, but in the major ceremonies, the katsinam always make their appearance in public dances or dramas. Sometimes carved images of the katsinam are given as gifts to Hopi children and women during ceremonies such as the Powamuya, or Bean Dance, in February. The katsina dolls are known as tihu in Hopi and are carved by Hopi men from the roots of cottonwood trees. Considered as precious representations of these vital spirits, the katsinam, the dolls are cared for by the children and help them to learn to recognize the many different katsinam. More than 300 katsinam are known, although no one community has all of them.Mudhead Katsina

Today some Hopi carve katsina dolls strictly for sale on the art market. These sculptures are not quite perfect representations of a particular katsina, however, for perfectly correct dolls are only given to Hopi children. Illustrated below are several katsinam in the form of dolls carved for sale.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 


Katsina Mana

This Katsina Mana is known as Snow Maiden. She is usually seen during the Niman ceremony, when she is a harbinger and a prayer for the coming winter cold and snow that will bring moisture the following spring. She has a white face and sometimes white hair, as is seen here.Tooltip content goes here.

Mudhead Katsina

The Koyemsi, or Mudhead Katsina, is a clown who may be seen in most Hopi ceremonies. Mudhead Katsinam drum, dance, play games with the audience, and may act as announcers for events. They often give prizes or rewards for the races and guessing games they organize. The term "mudhead" comes from their masks which have mud applied to them. Tooltip content goes here.

Great Horned Owl Katsina

The Great Horned Owl Katsina, Mongwa, most often appears in mixed kachina summer dances, during which he leads "whipper" or warrior katsinam to punish the clowns for their un-Hopi behavior. On First Mesa he may also appear in the Powamuya and the Water Serpent Ceremony.Tooltip content goes here.

Katsina Mana

Katsina Manas may appear in several guises. This one is Yellow Corn Girl who comes in December after the winter solstice and helps to open the kivas and bless the corn during the Soyal ceremony.Tooltip content goes here.

Hummingbird Katsina

The Hummingbird Katsina, Tocha, will often appear during both the Soyal in December and the Powamuya in February, in addition to ceremonies in March. They dance very fast with a bobbing motion and make sharp calls as they come into the kiva. Their dances and songs are prayers for water and the blossoming of the crops.Tooltip content goes here.

Cross-legged Katsina

This is Huhuwa, or, Cross-Legged Katsina. He is sometimes known as Snare Katsina on First Mesa.The story is that he was a real man from Second Mesa, who, although severely disabled by a crippling disease, was always ready to help others and kept a cheerful spirit. Thus he became a katsina at death. Huhuwa is clown-like, making funny remarks and reminding people of funny things people have done in the past. He usually wears ragged clothes and may appear as a pair of katsinam, limping down the street during Powamuya and other ceremonies.

Ogre Katsina

Ho-ote is seen in mixed katsina dances and sometimes appears at the Niman ceremony in July. The designs on his forehead are said to be flowers, and his dance is a prayer for the blossoms of springtime..

Hemis Katsina

Hemis Katsina appears at the Niman Ceremony, which is the Going Home Ceremony in July when the Katsinam return to the San Francisco Peaks for the coming six months. To celebrate the first harvest of the year, entire corn plants are brought into the plaza by the Hemis Katsinam where they are distributed to people.Then the Hemis Katsinam and their Katsina Manas dance the Home Dance in a long double line, the last dance of the katsina season following the summer solstice.

Eagle Katsina

Eagle Katsina, or Kwahu, appears during the Powamuya and during various night dances of both the winter and spring. Eagle feathers are revered by the Hopi, as they are used to make paho (prayer feathers) to carry their prayers to the heavens. The dance of the Eagle Katsina is a prayer for abundant eagle feathers, plentiful water, and good crops.Tooltip content goes here.

Crow Mother Katsina

This is Angwusnasomtaka, Crow Mother Katsina, who is important in the initiation of children into the katsina knowledge during the Powamuya (Bean Dance) in February. She sometimes carries a bundle of yucca switches which are used on the children by the "whipper katsinam" during the initiation. Here she is shown carrying a basket, which probably represents her in the guise of the "Crow Bride", when she leads various katsinam through the pueblo carrying corn and bean sprouts in February.

Globular Rattle
Tsimshian or Bella Bella Style

This is a reproduction of a two-faced, globular shaman's rattle, carved of maple. The two faces are humanoid. Globular rattles were traditionally reserved for shaman's work, although they also were used by participants in certain Winter Ceremonies in which all dancers were viewed as "shamans."

Oystercatcher Rattle
Tlingit Style

This reproduction of a shaman's rattle is carved of maple wood and is the effigy of an oystercatcher, whose body terminates in a mountain goat facing the opposite direction. A human figure, the shaman, lies on the back of the bird and draws spirit power from the long tongue of the mountain goat. On the belly of the oystercatcher is a killerwhale representation. The eyes of all the figures are set with abalone shell.

Rattles such as is illustrated here were traditionally used by shamans in curing ceremonies. The oystercatcher is an ideal assistant to the shaman, as it inhabits the shoreline -- the border between water and land -- and thus parallels the shaman's role between two worlds -- human and spirit. The mountain goat may carry similar symbolism, as it too lives in a borderline environment between mountain and sky. It also leaps across treacherous chasms, as does the shaman in his visits to the spirit world. Through the touching of tongues, spirit power is transferred from animal spirit to human.

Such shaman's rattles sometimes became symbols of the rank and power of chiefs in the late 19th century, and chiefs are often shown holding them.

Wolf Mask
Tlingit Style

Masks such as this are worn in the dance dramas of the Northwest Coast cultures and represent the spirit power of the animal depicted. This power is held as an inherited privilege by a chief or other high ranking noble, and only such an individual may wear or perform in such a mask.

This contemporary work of art depicts a wolf. Inside the mouth crouches a frog-like animal, and human hair tassels adorn the tops of the wolf's ears.

Clan Crest Hat or Potlatch Hat

Tlingit Style

Clan crest hats are valuable possessions of a clan and always include images of important spirit animals or other supernatural beings (in this case the eagle) associated with the clan. This example is a reproduction, but such hats are traditionally owned by a clan and are cared for and worn by the hereditary chiefs on important occasions, such as at potlatches. They are sometimes called potlatch hats because chiefs may commemorate each potlatch they have hosted by putting a basketry ring on the hat. In this contemporary example, the rings are carved of wood.

Feast Bowl
Tlingit Style

This food box is carved of yew or alder. On two opposite sides appears the carved face of a beaver-like animal.

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Feast Bowl
Kwakiutl Style

This is a view of one end of the feast bowl appearing at the top of the page. It is carved of cedar and inlaid about the rim with round shell beads. The end shown here depicts a shark, while the opposite side shows bear. The two long sides depict what appear to be oystercatchers.

Food boxes such as this, and the one illustrated below, are owned and displayed by hereditary nobles at great ceremonies. They were traditionally used to hold fish oil, a delicacy present at every feast, or other food stuffs on ceremonial occasions.