5.3.8 [Hopi dressed as a kachina. “Moqui. Niman kachina. One figure.]
This photograph, taken in 1897 — more than 200 years after the other primary sources in this collection — shows a Pueblo Native American spiritual practice. This photo features kachina dancers, who are the members of the community wearing masks at this religious ceremony. In many ways, this document shows the persistence of indigenous religious practices.
Given that the Pueblo Indians rebelled against the Spanish colonizers in the Pueblo Revolt, and that more than 200 years later they continued to practice their own religion, how does this photograph help us answer the question How did European explorers and Natives interact? Do you think this photograph documents religion, diplomacy, conflict — or a combination of all three? What evidence helps you answer this question?This photograph, taken in 1897 — more than 200 years after the other primary sources in this collection — shows a Pueblo Native American spiritual practice. This photo features kachina dancers, who are the members of the community wearing masks at this religious ceremony. In Pueblo culture, such rituals are practiced by several tribes in the Southwest, including the Hopi and Keresan tribes.
Given that the Pueblo Indians rebelled against the Spanish colonizers in the Pueblo Revolt, and that more than 200 years later they continued to practice their own religion, ask your students to consider how this photograph helps us to answer the question How did European explorers and Natives interact? Draw your students’ attention to the persistence of Indian religious practices over time. Do you think this photograph documents religion, diplomacy, conflict — or a combination of all three? What evidence helps you answer this question? Make sure that your students understand the persistence of Native religious and cultural practices as a form of power and autonomy that resulted from Native–settler interactions.