Coolidge Roy Jr.

Coolidge, of the Hopi Coyote clan, was born August 4, 1950 in the village of Moenkopi, which is an extension of the Third Mesa villages. He was one of eleven children born to Coolidge and Lucy Roy.  Coolidge was a self-taught carver and continued the family tradition of Kachina carving as his father, Coolidge Roy, Sr. did for over 30 years. Coolidge was very careful in choosing what he carved, highly respecting the advice of his elders. “In Hopi, we pray for all the people, not just our own. We pray for you and everybody and everything that is moving. Everything to me is spiritual and everything is religious,” he said. Coolidge carved Kachina dolls from 1969 to his passing in 2024.

Coolidge won many awards during his career and enjoyed worldwide recognition.  The unique characteristics of his style include animated poses and subtle coloration.  He is also known for his miniatures as well as full size Kachinas. He specialized in Eagle and Sun Kachinas.

He honored the Hopi traditions and participated in the dances since he was initiated as a boy. He said, “I carve the dolls the way the Kachinas are in the dances, and then I gather up my shavings and take them to a special place, leaving them for the wind to carry away. I leave the bigger pieces there and they get covered up with sand. It’s a sacred place to me and I have done this for a long time. Most of the time when I am carving I sing a song, a special song for each carving. The songs I sing are the songs the Kachinas dance to - it’s their song.”

Coolidge was the proud father of four children and grandfather of several grandchildren. He lived with his wife Juanita in the Hopi Third Mesa village of Old Oraibi. Old Oraibi was founded sometime before the year 1100 CE, making it one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements within the United States. Even today, nearly all the homes in Old Oraibi remain without electricity or running water. This is a choice made by the inhabitants to live ‘traditionally’ as most other Hopi villages have brought in modern amenities.

Coolidge passed away in 2024. He was a dear friend we were honored to work with for almost 50 years. We will miss him greatly!