A kachina is one of more than 500 ancestral spirits important to the Pueblo people. The kachina can be represented by ceremonial dancers and by small carved dolls, also called kachina (sometimes spelled “katsina”). The word “kachina” comes from the Hopi term “kacina,” meaning “supernatural,” and these spirits represent a vast number of things to the Pueblo people — anything from rain, to crops, stars, animals, and other people. Kachina dancing is quite specialized and the traditions vary among different communities. While kachina dolls are given to children to help them learn about the spirits, they are not usually for playing — in addition to being spiritual tools, they have become sought-after collectibles.