Kaya "aton"my

"Kaya" redirects here. For the doll, see Kaya'aton'my (doll).

Kaya was the eighth Historical Character of the American Girls, representing early Native America. Kaya was released in 2002.

Basic Facts[]

Name: Kaya'aton'my (She Who Arranges Rocks)
Birthday: Unspecified, 1755^[1]
Series Location: Pacific Northwest^[2]
Series Timeline: Midsummer 1764 to Winter 1766

Personality and Facts[]

Kaya (pronounced KY-yah) is a Native American girl of the Nimiipuu, or Nez Perce tribe. Her stories are set prior to permanent settlement of the area by Caucasians. The stories are post-Western contact, as evidenced by the fact the tribe has horses and her grandmother has pock-marks from prior contact that has led to disease.

Kaya is a very active young girl, fitting with an outdoor lifestyle. She swims in the river every morning with the other girls. She is one of the fastest riders and cares greatly for animals, especially horses.

Kaya many times acts before she thinks, getting her into trouble many times through the series. In Meet Kaya, her rash actions get her in trouble, earning a switch from Whip Woman and the nickname "Magpie" which she tries desperately to get rid of. Later, her rash actions get her and Speaking Rain kidnapped by another tribe. Kaya is prone to boast or brag to seem important. She hopes to become a strong, courageous leader of her people.

American Girl characterizes her as "adventurous" and "daring."

Family and Friends[]

See Also: Minor Characters in Kaya's Series

Family[]

Toe-ta: Kaya's father.
Eetsa: Kaya's mother.
Brown Deer: Kaya's older sister.
Wing Feather and Sparrow: Kaya's younger twin brothers.
Speaking Rain: Kaya's blind adopted sister.
Kalutsa: Kaya's grandfather; Toe-ta's father.
Aalah: Kaya's grandmother; Toe-ta's mother.
Pi-lah-ka Kaya's grandfather; Eetsa's father.
Kautsa Kaya's grandmother; Eetsa's mother.
Cut Cheek: Kaya's brother-in-law and Brown Deer's husband.

Friends and Other Characters[]

Steps High: Kaya's horse.
Swan Circling: A warrior in Kaya's tribe.
Two Hawks: A captive boy.
Lone Dog: A dog Kaya befriends.
White Braids: An older woman who cares for Speaking Rain.

Books[]

See: List of Kaya's Books

Doll[]

Main Article: Kaya'aton'my (doll)

Face Mold: Kaya has a unique face mold with a closed mouth due to a Nimíipuu cultural taboo of baring teeth.
Skin: dark tan
Hair: black, straight and long
Eyes: Dark Brown

Meet Outfit[]

Deerskin dress
Fringed belt
Moccasins
Hair shells

Meet Accessories[]

Porcupine quill necklace
Belt pouch
Woven bag

Collection[]

See: Kaya's Collection

Trivia[]

Kaya is marketed as the First American Girl, properly acknowledging that Native people were here in America before any European contact or settlements.
Kaya's books are set in a time and place that is not technically part of America yet; at the time, some European contact had been made but the Pacific Northwest was still unclaimed by any European nation. The area did not officially become part of the US until the Oregon Country was given to the US as part of the Oregon Treaty of 1846.
Many of Kaya's books have titles that differ from the then-set format (Kaya's Escape, Kaya Shows the Way, Kaya's Hero, etc.).

References[]

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↑ American Girl tends to hold her birthday celebration in the summer, around the Nimipuu Salmon Runs Celebration.
↑ The Nez Perce tribe lived in an area covering parts of Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Oregon.

[1] American Girl tends to hold her birthday celebration in the summer, around the Nimipuu Salmon Runs Celebration.

[2] The Nez Perce tribe lived in an area covering parts of Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Oregon.

[1]

[2]