Brian Honyouti
Warrior Mouse
10" H
with 1 1/2" base
As the story goes, the village
was being threatened by a nasty old hawk - he was eating all
the village chickens. The old men knew he must be killed, the
boys knew he must be killed, and all the women and children knew
he must be killed - but no one knew how, and all their plans
had failed.
The Village Chief and Town
Crier were very worried and had met in private to smoke and ponder
upon the subject. Even they did not know how to rid themselves
of the marauding hawk.
Then late one night, a little
mouse sat smoking in his little kiva - and he felt bad for the
people and decided that he would kill the hawk. So that night
he went to the home of the Village Chief.
Upon being invited in, he
ate and smoked, and the chief smoked, and the mouse told him
why he had come. He was going to kill the hawk. At first the
chief was amused, and then he was concerned, but he accepted
the offer anyway.
When the Town Crier and the
rest of the village heard about the plans of the mouse, they
shook their head and questioned the village leader. But some
thought maybe the mouse had special power. So they prepared anyway.
A date was set, and preparations
took place. People came from all the other villages to see their
friends and relatives, to talk and joke, and of course to eat.
They came to see the mouse who was to kill the hawk.
The mouse had also prepared.
He had sharpened the end of a greasewood stick and dug a long
tunnel from his kiva into the plaza. There he dug another hole
reaching to the surface. He smoked all night before the day of
the warrior's dance. He dressed himself in warpaint and feathers
and took his club and bow.
He set the warriors standard
on the ladder of his kiva, and when it was time he emerged dancing
and singing his little warrior song - The hawk kills chickens,
and the hawk kills rabbits, but the hawk will not kill the warrior
mouse! (cont. below)
This kachina was carved by
Brian Honyouti, one of three famous Hopi brothers, who often
carve together. The Honyoutis, Loren, Brian and Ronald, are originally
from Bacavi, Arizona on the Hopi reservation. The Honyoutis are
featured in many books on Hopi carving including, "Kachina
Dolls" by Helga Tiewes and "The Art of the Hopi"
by Jerry and Lois Jacka.
In Helga's book, Brian is
written about extensively. The Honyoutis are considered forerunners
in the art of realistic carvings and are in a class of their
own.
Brian was born in 1947 in
the village of Hotevilla, Arizona on the Hopi reservation. He
started carving Kachinas in the mid 1960's, and learned his carving
techniques from his father, who taught him how to make one-piece
carvings. He began using oil paints in 1978, and he is universally
credited with being the first carver to use wood preservatives
and varnish as a sealer, instead of the usual white undercoat.
Brian was also the first carver
to substitute wood preservatives instead of paint, leaving the
flesh areas unpainted and using the natural wood colors. He rarely
uses Dremel tools and wood burners, preferring to do all of his
carving with pocket knives, chisels, hack-saw blades and small
files. He has signed the doll on the back of the base: "BH"
