The name Kachina comes from........

The Hopi Indian religion, where Kachinas are supernatural beings  who come down to the Hopi villages from their home atop the San Francisco peaks near Flagstaff Arizona.

In February of each year the Hopi Kachina Spirits return to the villages for the Powamu, the Bean Dance Ceremony. The impelling force of the Hopi religion is the necessity for water in all forms such as rain, snow and drinking water from the springs.

Consequently,  the Hopi people petition the Creator through their intermediaries,  the Kachina Spirits, for favorable weather, bountiful crops and a peaceful and prosperous life.  The Kachina Spirits stay until July, leaving after the Ninman or Going Home Ceremony.

--Excerpt from "Hopi Kachina Dolls and Their Carvers" by Theda Bassman