The Potlatch Collection was taken from our people under this illegal agreement. Most of our treasures have returned home and are housed in the U’mista at Alert Bay and the …

Transformation masks, like those belonging to the Kwakwaka’wakw (pronounced Kwak-wak-ah-wak, a Pacific Northwest Coast Indigenous people) and illustrated here, are worn during a …

The House drew its identity from its ancestral founder, usually a mythical animal who descended to earth and removed his animal mask, thus becoming human. The mask became a family …

Since 1922, some of our most treasured masks and ceremonial objects had been in the hands of museums in Canada, England and the United States, taken away at a time of great sorrow …

Feb 13, 2022 · Masks make up a large portion of Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw art, as masks are important in the portrayal of the characters central to Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw dance ceremonies. Ceremonial …

A transformation mask, also known as an opening mask, is a type of mask used by indigenous people of the Northwest Coast of North America and Alaska in ritual dances. These masks …

The potlatch ceremony marks important occasions in the lives of the Kwakwaka'wakw: the naming of children, marriage, transferring rights and privileges and mourning the dead. It is a time for …

Native Masks and Spirits. Masks often represent spirit creatures, animals, and myths. When used in the Potlatch or other West Coast Native ceremonies, dancers take on the personification of …

Browse a wide selection of potlatch mask and face coverings available in various fabrics and configurations, made by a community of small business-owners.

Oct 15, 2021 · Dance masks such as this one were used in the ceremony known as the Potlatch, a dance and gift-giving celebration dating back to the late 19th century and practised by …