According to Barton Wright,
"the Sun Kachina [Dawa] is a representation of the spirit
of the Sun, though on occasion be called the Sun Shield Kachina.
He appears in a role very similar to that of the Nakiachop or
Talavai, standing to the side with a spruce tree in his left
hand and a bell in his right.
Also, he may appear in a Mixed
Dance with the flute in his left hand that is associated with
him in many myths. He is not often personated."
- Barton Wright, Kachinas: a Hopi
Artist's Documentary (124)
Here he appears with a rattle
in the right hand and the flower wand in the other. Attached
to the end of the wand is an eagle feather. His posture is lively
- as if he were dancing in the plaza, while his head is turned
up - gazing into the sky.
We particularly liked the
red horsehair fringe and details in the feather headdress.
Leonard is a traditional Hopi
farmer from the village of Moenkopi on the western border of
the reservation, near Tuba City, Arizona. He is also a water-rights
activist but manages to find time for his carvings when he is
not busy.
