KACHINA

in Pueblo Indian religious practice, any of more than 500 divine ancestral spirits who act as intermediaries between man and god. Each tribe has its distinct forms and variations. Kachinas are believed to reside with the tribe for half of each year. They will allow themselves to be seen by the community if the men properly perform a traditional ritual while wearing kachina masks. The being depicted on the mask is thought to be actually present with the performer, temporarily transforming him. Kachinas are also depicted in small, ornamented carved-wood dolls, which are made by the men of the tribe and presented to the children. These wooden dolls are intended both as playthings and as devices to teach the identities of the kachinas and the symbolism of their costumes. The identity of the spirit is depicted not by the form of the doll, which is usually simple and flat, but primarily by the applied colour and elaborate feather, leather, and, occasionally, fabric ornamentation of its mask.