The Kachinas are an important aspect to the beliefs of the Hopi Indians of the American Southwest. The Hopi people believe everything on Earth exists in two forms, the physical and spiritual. Kachina is derived from the word "katsinum", which means spirit. The Hopi believe Kachinas are divine spirits who exist within elements of nature such as clouds, winds, and rain. The Hopi also see them as ancestral spirits that serve to create a bond with the spirit world. The story of the Kachina is believed to have started in an ancient time of drought and starvation which had lasted for many years. As the food supply dwindled and the people began to die, the Kachina took pity on them. They materialized into a human-like form and helped the people grow food, bring rain and heal the sick through prayer and song and dance rituals. To show their gratitude the Hopi people asked the Kachinas to become a part of their tribe. Over time, however, the people became lazy and began to neglect their village and way of life since they were no longer hungry and suffering. Seeing this, the Kachinas decided to leave. Realizing what was about to happen, the people begged the Kachinas to stay but it was no use. Before leaving though, they agreed to teach the Hopi people how to call on the power of nature. By properly performing the rituals and prayers of the Kachinas, only then would the spirits help bring rain, plentiful food, health and happiness to the people. These beliefs are important because it ties the Hopi people to their ancestry as well as nature. They are taught that by honoring the spirits and earth correctly they will be rewarded with food, health and happiness. The story also teaches the lesson of not taking things for granted. The Hopi began taking the Kachina for granted once they had them at their disposal. The Kachina leaving showed the Hopi that they must always be vigilant in their practices and beliefs to ensure they remain in the spirits favor. I believe this myth serves a sociological function in the Hopi culture. They are taught through this myth the danger of straying from practicing their beliefs and spiritual duties. It serves as a reminder to the Hopi people that even in times of bountiful harvest and prosperity that their belief in the spiritual world should not be taken for granted. It helped to keep their society humble as well. The story tells of how many people became lazy and promiscuous when times were good so they were punished by the Kachina leaving the village. The myth is used as a warning to avoid these things from happening again. Making sure the Hopi knew right from wrong and maintained some spiritual guidance is a big function of this myth. The right thing for the Hopi people was to always follow the Kachinas teachings and not ignore their importance to the culture even if they were not present physically.

The Kachinas were said to dwell in various sacred places and mountains surrounding the Hopi. However, it was believed they lived amongst the people for 6 months of the year. During these 6 months, the Hopi men performed rituals that coincided with the presence of the Kachina spirits. Costumes and masks were worn by the men as they sang songs and performed dances to earn favor from the Kachinas. The Hopi believe that each worshipper is temporarily transformed into the spirit of a Kachina. While the Hopi took to rituals and song to please their Kachina gods and earn their good will, the explanation for the benefits received has a scientific base to it. The spirits that inhabited Hopi worshipers can be seen as knowledge that was learned by the Hopi. The Hopi, at some time in their past, were suffering from famine, disease, and drought. To end the suffering the Hopi realized they had to respect and learn the ways of nature. They had to learn how to cultivate the lands for food. They had to learn the seasons and the timing necessary for the right crops to grow and when. The Hopi started to recognize what foods to grow and weather patterns for different times of the year that made their culture thrive. After many years of continued success and their society having plentiful harvests the Hopi began to get lazy and they let their skills and knowledge of farming and nature decline. They did not pass the responsibilities and skills they survived on to subsequent generations. Once again hunger and hard times fell on the Hopi culture until the society realized that the practices they embraced that allowed their people to prosper needed to be focused on again. As long as the Hopi maintain the discipline needed to farm the lands they lived on and respected what they knew about nature and its cycles their culture would survive.