Originally, the label listed the object as Navajo, however Youvella was born in the First Mesa village of Polacca which is located on the Hopi-Tewa reservation.
Here’s a link to the tribal website for more information.
Function in Hopi Community:
Katsinam, are central to Hopi religion. Katsinam are supernatural beings that visit Hopi villages during ceremonial seasons and bring with them things like rain, fertility, health, balance and well-being. Dolls, or tithu, are made to represent Hopi supernatural beings and are traditionally used in ceremonies within the Hopi community.1 They are not idols or icons, but rather acquaint Hopi youth with the vast array of Katsinam. That being said, tithu do hold a largely religious and invaluable significance in Hopi culture.
Hopi men dress in costume to personify Katsinam during Powamuya, a ceremonial season around February, which involves initiating the community’s youth into adulthood and the Katsina society. The children eligible for this right of passage is usually between the ages of six and ten. Part of the ritual is for the child to endure a whipping from the Katsinam. But before this, they must have a lesson from the chief priest who takes on the role of Muyingwa, the God of germination. After the oral teachings, the children are escorted to the kiva individually and receive lashes with Yucca leaves. Once the initiation is over, they must swear not to tell other children what occurred.2 During this ritual, men from the community dress in costumes and carve tithu to represent the Katsinam in physical form. Tithu serve a significant spiritual importance to Hopi by personifying Katsina spirits.
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