Old Style Hopi Carved Cactus Traditional Plant Katsina Doll

Description

Old Style Hopi Carved Prickly Pear Fruit-Cactus Traditional Plant Katsina Doll by Lorren "Kwiits" Talashoma

Any of the Cactus Katsinam can appear as guards or enforcer Katsinam and the staff that they carry often has a cactus joint attached at the end as a weapon. They include Cholla (Osok’china), Hano Cholla (ushe), Prickly Pear Maiden (yungya mana), and Prickly Pear (Yung’a or yunya or Nawuk’china). As a Katsina, he appeared just prior to the turn of the 20^th century and was personated only a few times on First Mesa. He has been perpetuated more through the use of dolls than in dances. His function on Third Mesa was to ensure the cleaning of the springs, but on First Mesa he seems to have appeared primarily in the Soyohim. He can appear with Prickly Pear fruit paddles as a headdress. He is accompanied by Yung’a Mana who usually carries a basket with pads of prickly pear in it. She carries a set of wooden tongs that she uses to handle the cactus pads. She is dressed very much like the Hano Katsin Mana.