When I was actively purchasing katsina dolls from the Honyouti brothers in the 1980s and 1990s, Brian Honyouti was seriously involved in running a school for the children of his village of Bacavi. He founded the school, was the teacher, and was the principal. He was a strong advocate of education. He, himself, had obtained a bachelor's degree in anthropology from the University of Arizona in 1971.

Honyouti had started carving katsina dolls in the 1960s after graduating from high school. He helped his dad paint his dolls and learned to carve his own at that time. According to Helga Teiwes, he was the first carver to use wood preservers and wood sealers as an undercoat for the carvings. She said he was also the first to substitute wood preserver for paint and to use oil paints in lieu of acrylic paints. These innovations provided a mellow tone to his carvings rather than the shiny gloss of acrylics.