ASLAN TATTOO: 2013

Worry dolls (muñecas quitapenas), or trouble dolls, are very small and colorful dolls traditionally made in Guatemala. A person (usually a child) who cannot sleep due to worrying can express their worries to a doll and place it under their pillow before going to sleep. Some medical centers use them in conjunction with treatment for disease in children. According to folklore, the doll is thought to worry in the person's place, thereby permitting the person to sleep peacefully. The person will wake up without their worries, which have been taken away by the dolls during the night. Parents may remove the doll during the night, reinforcing the child's belief that the worry is gone. Some parents involve the child in making the dolls to further increase the psychological benefits of releasing worries, and instructions may be found online.

Clown Kachina Koshari, Koyala, Hano, or Tewa are the names of a clown that is often seen on the Hopi Mesas. Clown Kachinas provide amusement during Kachina ceremonies. Often shown with watermelons, they behave in the usual manner of pueblo clowns, engaging in loud and boisterous conversation, immoderate actions, and gluttony. They are often drummers for dances. In the Hopi tradition, the Sacred Clown Kachina frequently disrupts and makes a holy mess out of some of the most vital and fundamental rituals. The clown satirizes Hopi life by acting out and exaggerating improper behavior. Many times the actions of the clowns are meant to portray a lesson on behavior apparent in a tribal member. Their purpose is to show how overdoing anything is bad not only for the individual but for the people as a whole as well. Koshari plays tricks, acts out absurd pantomimes, or cleverly mimics spectators. Like the more serious Kachinas, but in a humorous way, the clown helps maintain community harmony by reminding the people of acceptable standards of behavior within the Hopi community.