A
kachina (; also
katchina,
katcina, or
katsina;
Hopi:
katsina , plural
katsinim ) is a spirit being in western
Pueblo religious beliefs. The western Pueblo,
Native American cultures located in the southwestern
United States, include
Hopi,
Zuni,
Tewa Village (on the Hopi Reservation),
Acoma Pueblo, and
Laguna Pueblo. The kachina concept has three different aspects: the supernatural being, the
kachina dancers (masked members of the community who represent kachinas at religious ceremonies), and
kachina dolls, small dolls carved in the likeness of kachinas given as gifts to children.