Dig It - 6/26/25

Well Fellow Seekers, have you ever seen Native American eagle dancers? They are quite impressive. In fact, seeing actual eagles dance on the wind is even more impressive and spellbinding. It seems that I saw a lot more golden eagles twenty years ago. I used to occasionally see them flying over Santa Fe. I even remember seeing one flying over my hometown of Summit, New Jersey, in 1973—very exciting. Another thing I remember was in 1971, there were thought to be about 2,000 golden eagles in the U.S. That summer, an old-timer working for the U.S. Fish and Game had shot over 1,000, mostly from a helicopter. Our government at work. Luckily whoever had made the count had woefully underestimated the eagle population. People used to think they ate lambs and calves. They might’ve eaten a few, but what an overkill by a person who was supposed to be protecting eagles.

This eagle kachina was made for Elizabeth Willis De Huff, 1886-1983. She was the wife of John D. DeHuff, the superintendent of the Santa Fe Indian School from 1916 to 1927. Elizabeth Willis DeHuff taught a number of Indian students painting, including Fred Kabotie. Apparently there was some controversy about her teachings, because many of the subjects her students painted were of pagan ceremonies. Oh my. Mrs. DeHuff’s art lessons became the foundation for the later Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) Mrs. DeHuff also wrote books on Hopi folk tales in the 1920s. 

This Hopi Eagle Kachina is 8.5” tall, and I would guess it dates from 1916 to the early 1920s. It has an up-carved skirt, an early stylistic trait, and both commercial and mineral pigments. I love the way the carver has captured the eagle's beautiful flight. He is for sale. Adios, Fellow Seekers, See you down the trail. -Lonesome