1.any of a class of supernatural beings who play a role in the religious beliefs and rituals of Pueblo Indian peoples. 2.a masked dancer impersonating such a being. 3.a carved wooden doll representing a kachina. [1885–90; < Hopiḳacína] ...
It is unknown where the Kachina Cult originated; however, some evidence points to a Mesoamerican origin, meaning indigenous cultures that developed in parts of Mexico and Central America before Spanish exploration and conquest in the 16th century. Some research suggests that the culture might have be...
Related to people of the various Pueblos to the east, the Hopis never actually had a single group identity--they were independent villages, sharing with the Zuni and other Pueblos a basic culture and view of the sacred, while sharing among themselves their own (Uto-Aztecan) language base. ...