Chester Poleyestewa is a Hopi Artist who carves only in the traditional style, a style that is more similar to that of kachinas of the early 1800’s: arms tucked close to the body and well thought out adornment. His Kachinas are made in the old, traditional manner using cottonwood roots and the same style that the Hope people have given to their own children for centuries.
Central to the traditional religion of the Hopi people, a Kachina (Katsina) is a supernatural being relied upon to provide rain, fertility, health, and well-being. While kachinas play a role in many of the Pueblo societies, the Hopi are most noted and prolific today in kachina doll carving.
