Spirit Dolls of the Hopi

ALLENTOWN, PA - To the Hopi Native American tribe, these are more than dolls; they’re messengers between humans and the spirit world; the kachina angels who taught humans life lessons.

“They may look like dolls, but they’re not actually dolls, they’re not toys. They’re part of the religious experience of the native people,” explains Museum of Indian Culture Tour Guide Wesley Dunn.

Today more than 70 of these hand-carven and hand painted wooden figures are on display at the Museum of Indian Culture in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Each of the wooden interpretations of the Hopi dolls have been carved and created by George Melloy; a retired Bethlehem Steel Metallurgical Engineer who after spending time with the Hopi, fell in love with the culture and dedicated years of his life to recreating some of the most intricate kachinas. Melloy donated his creations to the museum here and saw them displayed a week before his death in 2010. Wesley Dunn, Vice President at the Pennsylvania’s oldest exclusively Native American museum in the state, says the kachinas are an intricate mix of tradition and artistry.

“He actually fell in love with the native culture and when he finally retired from Bethlehem Steel, he bought a couple of books on the Kachina Dolls, which I think is really amazing...and he started carving the Kachinas. He made over a hundred of them,” explains Dunn who says to him, that shows Melloy’s love for the native people. Melloy never tried to sell them, he simply wanted them displayed.
These reproductions of the spirit dolls are created in stunning color and historical accuracy in accordance to Hopi originals. Used in sacred ceremonies, the kachinas were key parts of bean dance and winter solstice traditions.

Each doll is unique from the other; with objects in their hands indicating what he does and who he is. A kachina might hold a bow, rattle, stick or sword and even though they are given to children, these dolls aren’t toys, they’re teaching tools with lessons to teach children of our time and area.

“By learning about the different religions, the different cultures, we actually open up ourselves to bigger ideas and realize that hey, we’re not the only ones that think that way,” says Dunn, “the only difference is how they do it. It doesn't matter whether they’re Hopi and Zuni or Sioux or Muslim or Buddhist or what…”

The dolls are representations of spirit beings who live among the Hopi for only half the year. They are said to arrive only to the Pueblo Tribes of Arizona and New Mexico; bringing special blessings to the Hopi people. They first arrive on the Hopi mesas in February, and their stay is not long. If you want to catch a glimpse of these special statues don’t wait. The kachina dolls’ six month stay ends in July when they return to their spiritual homes. The dolls will be on display here in Allentown for another two months; giving you plenty of time to come visit them!