Native American Made Ogre Disciplinarian Katsina Doll

Description

Native American Made Ogre Disciplinarian Katsina Doll by Sammie Walker (Navajo-Hopi)

The Black Ogre (Nataska) is a disciplinarian who appears around the time of the Powamuya ceremony. These Katsinam reinforce the Hopi way of life to the children of the Pueblo. As a means of discipline, children are told the Ogres can swallow them whole, unless they are good. The fierce and threatening behavior of these Katsinam strikes fear into the children, but they are eventually saved from imminent danger by the people of their Pueblo. Anglos would call these Katsinam the boogymen This is a wonderful piece that is created in a style that is unusual today. Very few of the artists make the Native American dolls this way. The action is wonderful and the carving, painting and details are very accurate.