by ROBERT E. RITZENTHALER Curator of Anthropology On the sentinel-like mesas in the semi-desert land of northeastern Arizona dwell some 3,500 of one of our most colorful Indian tribes of today, the Hopi. Living in their traditional adobe, multi-storied “apartment houses,” called “Pueblos,” they practice many of their old ways and customs, and remain one of the tribes least affected by the white man. Agriculturalists they were and agriculturalists they are, filling the fields at the base of the m

Our Southwest is a veritable treasure chest of interesting things made by clever Indian craftsmen. Here and there, at Indian trading posts or Indian roadside stands along the way, among the rugs, sashes, pottery, and silver and turquoise jewelry, you will find Kachina dolls. Not too many. Up until a few years ago they were quite scarce in the trading posts, but could be bought at the various Hopi pueblos, where the best ones are made. While they were originally made for their little girls, as st

The dolls shown {above} were carefully drawn from old specimens in the collection in the Milwaukee Public Museum. Each one has a cord around the neck with a loop at the back for hanging on a wall. All the bodies were made from cottonwood roots. The tablets are of other woods whittled thin. It is said that the Kachina doll makers, and also the makers of the actual Kachina masks, pay the most attention as a rule to the masks. While the rest of the costumes may vary, the masks usually hold true to

Saw out slot for legs This is the simplest way of whittling Kachina dolls from a round piece of wood. Mark as shown at left and cut out piece between the feet and legs. Slot for legs. Dotted lines show how block is marked with pencil. Ears and nose are set into mortices. This is an old Indian method of whittling dolls. Note that the upper body is quite flat, and that the head and skirt are oval in cross-section. For the most part, Indians tend to make their doll bodies flat, especially figures t

Ruff of painted feathers. The tail is merely black-tipped eagle feathers like the wings. Use a quick-drying glue rather than cement to fasten parts together. The fox skin can be painted a reddish-buff. Sash is made separate and glued on. Dolls of this type are not found in many of the western trading posts, and where you do find one it will have quite a price tacked to it. To make this one, which is about eight inches high, you’ll need for the body a soft wood block about 2½ by 3 by 8 inches in

EAR ORNAMENTS LAPEL PIN half round Safety-pin set in plastic wood TIE CLASP half round Set in plastic wood ZIPPER PULL half round NECKLACE Dolls for necklace are made round. Use wood or glass pony beads. If you want to please a lady or a girl, make her some of these. They are colorful, to say the least, and decorative. The ear ornaments and the necklace are made of birch dowel rod, which is easy to whittle in miniature. Plastic screw clamps can be bought at almost any notion counter, and they ar

All drilling should be done before starting to whittle. The hole in the doll should be slightly smaller than the nipple. To insert nipple soak the wood around the hole with shellac and screw the nipple in. It will cut its own thread in the wood and the shellac will keep it from turning. Wall bracket wire is concealed in groove. Drill lead holes for screws. Use a little glue. It is much simpler to insert the cord before fastening the doll to the base. I enjoy making lamps, and have made many Kach

Paper lamp shades are rather easy to make after you know how to go about it. Of course a wire frame is required. These can sometimes be bought, but as a rule a frame can be taken from a discarded shade of the proper size. Only the top and bottom rings are required for the round shades. Design taken from pottery. Use a round shade with a round base. This is the conventional shape. If you can not get a pattern from the former covering, a new one can be easily laid out as follows: PROCEDURE Remembe

This is one item that is becoming quite popular through the West and there seems to be no limit in what can be done along these lines. You will probably get a lot of ideas when traveling, but here are a couple that are slightly “different.” The top tray can be made of Mexican modeling clay or some other clay that does not require firing. In that case the top and inside are not decorated, and the outside decoration is put on with poster color and covered with several coats of plastic or clear lac

A one-pound coffee can is just right. For better painting, scrape off all printed matter and wipe from can before starting other work. Can be painted with enamels, colored lacquer, or dope, but do not try to use both on one job. They do not mix. Fasten together with glue and one screw. The grooves in the cover and the base can be cut on a lathe, using a face plate. Fasten the cover to plywood with tacks. Put some thick shellac in the groove. “Nose” and “ears” should fit snug to can. Punch holes

Mask slides are easily made. Bore a ¾-inch hole for the neckerchief first and the proceed as with any other mask. For a full figure slide, use only a half round piece of wood, and glue a loop of leather to the back of it. ALUMINUM This aluminum slide can be made without welding. The snout is riveted in before bending the mask. SILVER Beautiful slides can be made of sterling silver, and since it is easily soldered, more can be added than with other materials. The eyes are inset with turquoise for

Slides are always in demand in scouting, and we show here four different methods of making them. Those made of wood are very colorful. In making the full figure, only the vertical, front half of the form is used, and a ring of any material may be attached to the back. Metal slides require a little more work. Aluminum is a good metal for youngsters. This requires no welding, but the tablet is fastened to the mask with a tight drive fit. Silver, of course, is for the finished craftsman, and anyone

Probably your thought on this fixture will be, “You can’t put that in a living room.” Not in any or every living room, but I know a beautiful large living room where a similar one is hung and it certainly sets off the Navaho rugs and Indian baskets and pottery in that room. This fixture would be ideal in a den or recreation room. A cluster of four light bulbs should light it, or a socket can be set on each of the four sides. Frosted, or better still, an opal glass should be used. The side pieces

These can also be made without the back or upright; that is, the doll would be set flush with the back edge of the base. But the metal base must be added unless the wooden base is well weighted with lead. I have made them that way, but prefer the thin metal piece instead. Twenty-gauge brass works out nicely. To fasten it, use small flat-head screws, countersunk, and give the metal a coat of thin shellac where it fits into the wood. Wood and metal must be flush along the bottom. KACHINA DOLL POST

These attractive gate posts are rather easy to make. I used sections of old electric-line or telephone poles. They are of cedar and will withstand the weather. After cleaning the surface of the post with a drawknife, it is worked with a small hand ax, chisel, and mallet. Note the 2-foot or 3-foot projection left on the bottom to set it. Paint with ordinary house paint and, if you wish, finish with a coat of clear varnish to protect the paint. I used water colors and finished with two coats of cl