Masking
is an ancient Alutiiq tradition. For centuries, Native artists
carved images of powerful ancestors, animal spirits, and mythological
beings into wood and bark. Masks were made in many sizes.
Palm-sized miniatures may have been used to teach children traditional
stories or carried by adults as amulets. Full-sized portrait masks
and enormous plank masks were worn by dancers during ceremonial performances.
Masks were often brightly
painted and adorned with a variety of attachments. Feathers,
fur, and small wooden carvings were tied to an encircling hoop.
Some masks were held in the hands or teeth, others were tied to the
dancer's head, and very large pieces were suspended over performance
areas. A long headed masked was a sign of power and authority.
A whistling mask could conjure sprits.
Following ceremonies,
masks were broken and discarded. This tradition reflects the
spiritual power of the images they portrayed. Masks were part
of the dangerous process of communicating with the spirit world.
They were used in dances that insured future hunting success by showing
reverence to animal spirits and ancestors.
Masking continues in
Kodiak communities today, where it has been combined with Russian
Orthodox and American traditions. During the Russian New Year,
Alutiiq people participate in an annual masquerade ball. Others,
disguised with masks and odd clothing, travel from house to house
dancing. Hosts provide refreshments and try to guess the identity
of their visitors, who must quit for the night if they are identified.
This modern practice holds many elements of ancient winter
ceremonies - visiting, performing and feasting.
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