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Sun Moon Masks

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18 views3 pages

Sun Moon Masks

cool

Uploaded by

studiousreader35
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Kwakwaka’wakw Sun and Moon Masks

What did Native Americans use masks for?


Native American masks were an important part of the Native American culture. They were used
during ceremonies, given as gifts, and each one was hand crafted. They have a special charm that
comes from the significance behind the art; the significance of the Native American way of life.
Native American masks were usually created in the likeness of an animal. These animals
represented certain Native American ideas such as spirits, status, and characteristics. In addition,
some Native Americans believed that each clan was descended from a different animal. This
meant that some Native American masks related to the clan the Indians were from.

In addition to creating Native American masks with animal characteristics, they also created
portrait masks. These masks were modeled after a certain person. This type of mask would
depict the status of the person who the mask was modeled after.

What types of masks are there?


There are three different types of Native American masks. One is a single face mask which is
just a simple mask. Then there is a mechanical mask that can contain moving parts. For example,
this can be eyes that open and shut. The last type is a transformation mask. This is more like two
or more masks in one. The outer mask opens up to reveal another mask. The second mask may
open up to reveal a third and so on.

What are they made of?


Native American masks were constructed out of the materials they had on hand. This means
many of the masks were made out of wood. Paint would be formed out of materials that were
readily available. Also, items such as feathers, hair, straw and other elements may be added for
further decoration.
Who are the Kwakwaka’wakw?
The Kwakwaka’wakw are an indigenous people who live in British Columbia on northern
Vancouver Island and the adjoining mainland. They have historically been named after the
Kwakiutl.

The Kwakwaka’wakw believe that their ancestors came in the forms of animals by way of land,
sea or underground. When one of these ancestral animals arrived at the given spot, it would
discard its animal appearance and become human. Some animals that figure in these origin
myths include the Thunderbird, his brother Kolus, the seagull, orca, grizzly bear or chief ghost.
Some ancestors have human origins and are said to come from distant places.

Historically, the Kwakwaka'wakw economy was based primarily on fishing, with the men also
engaging in some hunting, and the women gathering wild fruits and berries. Ornate weaving and
woodwork were important crafts, and wealth, defined by slaves and material goods, was
prominently displayed and traded at potlatch ceremonies. These customs were the subject of
extensive study by the anthropologist Franz Boas. In contrast to most other societies, wealth and
status were not determined by how much you had, but by how much you had to give away. This
act of giving away your

The Sun Mask


˜‡isala lives in the upper world (or the sky) and "walks across the heavens" daily from east to
west. ˜‡isala is the ancestor and family crest of some Kwakwaka'wakw. As a family crest, the
image of ˜‡isala would often be seen on the front of houses, or today on the top of the world's
tallest totem pole, located in Alert Bay.

Dance and Regalia:


˜‡isala dancer uses a blanket covered in iridescent abalone shells to imply the movements of the
sun traveling from east to west. The mask is carved as an anthropomorphic face with a hooked
nose and ten short rays emanating from the sides and top of the mask.

Song:
˜‡isala Song of 'Lala„anx'idi, Chief Peter Cook, T‡a'sala
We are all going to watch the supernatural one who causes the daylight to break down upon our
world, you are truly supernatural. We will watch the one who causes great reflections of light
from it's body, the supernatural killer whale, this is a heavy dance right. You will now watch, the
great hunter of the seat that has the greatest aim when it strikes, the killer whale, a powerful
dance to have, it is treasured.

Legend:
In one well-known story, mink is the child of ˜‡isala. Mink was born after the rays of the sun
impregnated his mother as they fell upon her back. Mink travels to visit his father, ˜‡isala in the
upper world by climbing a chain of arrows. In the sky family, clouds are the aunts of mink, and,
therefore the sisters of ˜‡isala. Mink's father allows him to wear the abalone blanket and become
˜‡isala. Mink gets home and does a bad job. In the end his father throws him back down to Earth.
The Moon Mask
The moon masks always appear as a pair, each differentiated by the phase of the moon on top of
the mask. The features of a moon mask are often carved in such a way that the face appears
flatter than is typical of other masks, reduced in prominence to suggest a face in the moon. The
moon is responsible for controlling the tides. This moon mask shows the halo constructed from
wood and is painted red.

Dance and Regalia:


When the moon masks are shown during a potlatch, they enter the Big House separately. Once
they discover each other they try to get the other to leave, as each believes they are the better
phase of the moon. They decide to settle the often-heated argument by dancing and the audience
decides which one is the better moon. The winner continues to dance while the loser sulks away,
gesturing angrily as he goes. Although the dance is quite humorous it is a high-ranking privilege.

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