Hopi use the word katsina to describe the spiritual beings of the hopi and the dolls that they carve in 1857 traders received the first hopi katsina dolls possessed by people outside the hopi tribe until the end of the 19th century katsina dolls were gradually acquired by others katsina dolls have a simple style with more detailed masks. American newcomers first entered hopi lands in about 1830 unfortunately bringing with them smallpox some of the hopi fled to zuni bringing some of the zuni katsina back with them once the epidemic was over americans cherished the katsina dolls and a hearty trade of these religious artifacts began in the late nineteenth century. Guide to hopi kachina katsina dolls guide to hopi kachina katsina dolls hopi literally translated means a person who behaves in a polite or peaceful way the hopi are a communal farming people who reside on and near three mesas in northeastern arizona more than nine thousand hopi live on a 15 million acre reservation that . The hopi attribute their very survival as a people to the katsinam inhabitants of the spiritual realm who convey prayers to the goods in a guide to hopi katsina dolls more than seventy of the most prominent and intriguing katsinam who appear during the hopi ceremonial year are described and depicted in full color photographs of both contemporary and historic katsina dol