Malcolm Fred
Deer Dancer
15" total
height
The Deer Dancer takes part
in the popular plaza kachina dances. According to Kachinas
by Barton Wright the Deer Dancer "has power over the rain,
and of course, when he dances, he is a prayer for increase of
deer.
"Usually when a group
of these dancers appear they are accompanied by a Wolf or Mountain
Lion Kachina as a side dancer. Presumably the first Deer Kachinas
were brought from Awatovi, which may be correct as they retain
a strong Rio Grande appearance.
"The position that this
kachina usually assumes when he dances is that of bending forward
at the waist and resting the front part of the body upon the
short stick that is carried in his hands." (p. 166)
Malcolm comes from a large
family of Kachina carvers which include brothers Jim, Verlan,
Henry, Nathan and Glen. He has been carving and winning awards
since he was a teenager.
His awards include a Zuni
Fire God which he entered into the 1996 Arizona State Fair. He
is married to and has 3 children with a Zuni lady. One of his
favorite kachinas is the whipper which he seems to do most frequently.
Malcolm is of the Greasewood
and Roadrunner clans, and was raised in the village of Bacavi.
He has been carving for 25 years. His motivation comes from his
religion, history, and the freedom of expressing his inner feelings.
Malcolm continues to achieve
incredible realism in his figures, and is known for his large
and well-proportioned figures.
