Navajo Kachina Dolls
The Hopis are not the only Native American Indians creating kachina dolls. The Navajo tribe assimilated this part of Hopi culture into their own. However, the solemnity with which the Hopis treat the spirits-as-dolls has faded in the Navajo tradition. As a result, kachina dolls created by Navajo artists are often more whimsical than those of their Hopi neighbors.
Characteristic Navajo Storyteller Dolls
Like much handmade Native American art by Navajo Indian tribe artists, Navajo storytellers display influences of other Pueblos’ storyteller styles. Some Navajo storytellers, for instance, have large eyes and exaggerated lips like Acoma tribe storytellers. However, Navajo storytellers often lack the definition of other facial features, most notably the nose, similar to storytellers by Cochiti tribe or Isleta tribe artists.
However, Navajo storytellers are the handcrafted Native American storytellers with the most detailed adornment. Navajo female storytellers are typically the only figurines that don the distinctive squash blossom necklace, and some Navajo storytellers are adorned with features, much like Navajo kachinas.