ART on view 64 FIG. 9 (above): Harry C. James, Hopi Peach Orchard, Hopi Reservation, Arizona, 1930s. Gelatin silver process. Gift of Harry C. James. Braun Research Library Collection, Autry National Center, Los Angeles; P.5949. FIG. 10 (right): Töövkatsina, Katsina doll, Hopi. C. 1930. John L. Nelson Collection, purchased by the Hopi Fund. Southwest Museum of the American Indian Collection, Autry National Center, Los Angeles; 640.G.168. to dry farming practices and life at Hopi, the exhibition addresses the various Katsina ceremonies that occur from February to July, key times in the agricultural cycle. In February, Katsinam bring gifts of bean sprouts during Powamuya (the Bean Dance). Angk’wa is the time when the Katsinam visit the Hopi villages during the month of March. They come at night under the cover of darkness and dance for one night for the village members within the confines of a kiva, a ceremonial underground chamber found in each village. During these night dances, the Katsinam bring gifts of fruits, baked goods, and baked sweet corn, meant to encourage a productive harvest in the year to come. In return, young girls of the village prepare sample versions of Hopi traditional foods such as qömi (baked sweet corn meal) and somiviki (sweet blue corn bread) for the Katsinam. These foods are meant to provide gratitude, nourishment for dancing, and energy for the eventual return to the San Francisco Peaks, the spiritual home of the Katsinam. Following the calendar, the installation turns to the spring season through a variety of Katsina dolls that represent the spirits who visit the Hopi people during the springtime months. These are a dazzling variety of spirit figures, each with its own identity and attributes. Many hold various instruments used in the dances, including the gourd rattles, drums, and bells that form another important component of Hopi material culture. Visitors have the opportunity to listen to and play replica instruments. The tithu range from antique to modern and the centerpiece of this section is an assemblage of fifteen contemporary Katsina dolls carved by renowned carver Clayton Kaniatobe representing the “Mixed Dance” that occurs in the village plaza. When a dance is held in a particular village, local women become hosts to numerous visitors who come to witness Katsina ceremonies. A dance is a time for extended families, usually clan relatives who live in other villages, to visit and catch up on news within the family or community. Family members living off the reservation often come home during the ceremonies as well. The same activities happen in each Hopi household of the village, making the whole village alive and full of activity. The exhibition represents this through an immersive environment, a replica of a Hopi home that features a living room and kitchen with traditional basketry plaques, pottery, and jewelry on display in cabinets and table cases. During feast days, a host’s home becomes an “open house” to all extended family and any visitors. Hosting entails feeding guests when they wish to eat, providing
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