Vern Mahkee
Buffalo Dancer
15" H
total height
"One of the functions
of this Kachina is to bring the cold. He also serves the overall
function of prayers for good health, good crops, and a good harvest.
This kachina appears most frequently in the winter months, at
the beginning of the Kachina season.
"He has been known to
dance in the night Kachina dances in the kivas primarily, yet
he has also been known to appear in plaza dances with the mixed
Kachinas. He usually carries a lightning stick and a rattle with
stars painted on it. He is a contemporary kachina.
"Known as the Cold Weather
Man; he comes to help with/for a good hunt; at Oraibi, he wears
white leggings; at Shungopavi, he wears yellow leggings and requires
a shirt."
- J. Brent Ricks, et al., Kachinas:
Spirit Beings of the Hopi (2)
Vern Mahkee was born November
13, 1963 and resides in Oraibi, at Third Mesa. He is a member
of the Corn Clan.
Vern is a self-taught artist.
He learned the art of carving by watching his numerous artistic
relatives, like his uncle, the famed Kachina carver Alvin James
Makya, and taught himself their methods as well as developing
his own.
Vern Mahkee first carved Kachinas
as a means of carrying on a religious rite. He began carving
the dolls for sale and entering shows in 1979. Since that time
he has developed a reputation for ultra-fine detail, as well
as beautiful balance in his Kachinas.
He has won awards in such
prestigious shows as the Santa Fe Indian Market. Vern¹s
Hopi name is Kuwanwisiwima.
