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Masks are highly valued by the Kwakiutl, serving as potent manifestations of ancestral spirits and supernatural beings and offering these supernatural entities temporary embodiment and communication through dance and other kinds of performance (Greenville 1998: 14). Masks also allow the wearer to undergo spiritual and social renewal, and serve as an outward manifestation of inward transformations (Pollock 1995: 588-590). However, Northwest Coast tribes do not all share the same myths or characters, nor do they necessarily use masks in the same way during their ceremonies (Malin 1978: 47). Each mask and accompanying dance are owned by particular families and passed down by elders and chiefs to their immediate and extended families to be used in ceremonies like the potlatch and seasonal festivals. These masks thus accumulate histories that transform and enhance their value (Gosden and Marshall 1999: 172). Oftentimes, people who specialize in carving are commissioned to make these masks several months, even years, in advance for members of the Kwakiutl First Nation as well as for museums and private collectors (Malin 1978:18-19; Ostrowitz and Jonaitis 1991: 251). https://www.mpm.edu/research-collections/artifacts/kwakiutl/kwakiutl-masks

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Feathers mean a lot to Native American Tribes.  A feather isn’t just something that falls out of a bird, it means much more.  The feather symbolizes trust, honor, strength, wisdom, power, freedom and many more things. To be given one of these is to be hand picked out of the rest of the men in the tribe - it’s like getting a gift from a high official.

If any Indian is given Golden or Bald Eagle feathers it is one of the most rewarding items they can ever be handed. The Indians believe that eagles have a special connection with the heavens since they fly so close. Many Indians believe that if they are given this feather, it is a symbol from above. They believe that the eagle is the leader of all birds, because it flies as high as it does and sees better than all the birds.
Once an Indian receives a feather he must take care of it, and many will hang it up in their homes. It is disrespectful to hide it away in a drawer or a closet. An Indian will be given a feather to hold on to or to wear, and if they hold it they must put it out for everyone to see. This will be a constant reminder of how to behave. An eagle feather is a lot like the American flag, it must be handled with care and can never be dropped on the ground.

The only way an Indian can actually get one of these feathers is by doing a brave deed, like fighting off a bear or going up against the enemy. They were never allowed to wear the feather until they went in front of their tribal court and retold the story of their victory. It was at this time that they were allowed to put it in their headpiece. Only chieftains, warriors, and braves have ever been awarded this special gift.  The next time you see eagle feathers in a headdress, think about how they were earned.
http://www.indians.org/articles/feathers.html

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The Native Symbol or Totem Eagle is known as “The master of skies” and is a symbol of great significance. He is believed to be the creature with the closest relationship with the creator. By soaring great heights, he can travel between the physical world and the spiritual world. He is said to be a messenger to the creator. Unlike the raven’s ability to send messages down, the eagle sends messages and prayers to the Creator. If an Eagle was seen during a Prayer session it was a sign of having a prayer accepted If a prayer needed immediate attention from the creator an eagle feather would be held up towards the sky. Although every part of the eagle has separate and significant meanings, the Eagle as a whole signifies focus, great strength, peace, leadership and incredible prestige. The wings of an eagle symbolize the balance and co-dependency between females and males, and how each gender must work unitedly in order to achieve harmonious results. The eagle feather plays a substantial part in religious and shamanic practices and ceremonies. The feathers were only allowed to be worn by people who had earned the privilege. For example, warriors that had done extremely well in battles would have a feather rewarded to them. The eagle feather transmits strength; it gives the ability to speak honestly from the heart, without hurt or anger. The middle vane in the feather symbolizes the path that every man walks in their lifetime, and every barb that comes off the middle vane symbolizes the choices we all have in life, and that every choice we make is attached to the middle or the main path that we take. Eagle down is scattered in entrances as a friendly welcome when people of great importance come and it is also often used in dances. Besides being a member of many different clans, every descendant from the Northwest Coast First Nations belongs to either a Raven or Eagle Clan. The membership is always defined by which clan the individual's mother belonged to.

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Kwakwaka’wakw artist, Eagle Mask open, late 19th c., from Alert Bay, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, cedar wood, feathers, sinew, cord, bird skin, hide, plant fibers, cotton, iron, pigments, 37 x 57 x 49 cm
(American Museum of Natural History)

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Kwakwaka’wakw artist, Eagle Mask closed, late 19th c., from Alert Bay, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, cedar wood, feathers, sinew, cord, bird skin, hide, plant fibers, cotton, iron, pigments,
37 x 57 x 49 cm (American Museum of Natural History)

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More art from the Northwest Coast

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Inside the Collections: Pacific Northwest Coast Peoples

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Her is an example of the masks in use!

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The Kwakiutl (Kwakwaka'wakw)are a people of the Pacific Northwest. Chief James Siwid(Seaweed) was featured in this clip from "New Indians".

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What do you see?
How does their life compare to yours?

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POTLATCH 2013 Pacific North West Coast Indians

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Old portraits & photographs of the Kwakiutl Indians of British Columbia from over 100 years ago.

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Read and learn for free about the following article: Transformation masks

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Here are some facts about the Kwakiutl Tribes

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Facts for Kids: Kwakiutl Indians (Kwakwakawakw, Kwak’wala, Kwakiutls)

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Information about the Kwakiutl Indians for students and teachers. Covers food, homes, arts and crafts, weapons, culture, and daily life of the Kwakiutls.

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Religion

In Northwest Coast culture, their customs, beliefs, and history were passed down orally through stories, songs, and dances.

They had stories about why certain things occurred, for example, the changes in season. There were also stories about each group and how they first appeared in this world. All of these stories were passed down to subsequent generations.

The people of the Northwest believed that they were surrounded, at all times, by supernatural beings interfering with the natural world.

In their culture, spirits were connected to all living things.

The only link between the spirit world and the natural world was the 'Shamans' or 'Medicine Men'.

Haida Raven Dancer

Shamans

Shaman

It was a Shaman's job to cure the sick, to ensure that there was adequate food, and to influence the weather. The belief was that they had the power to do all those things through an ability to communicate with the spirit world.

Both men and women could have been Shamans, however, they were most often men.

When someone took ill, it was believed to be an intervention by the spirit world, or a loss of the person's soul. Shamans were the only people who communicated directly with the spirits, so they were the only ones who could cure the sick.

Shamans wore:

Bearskin robes

Aprons

Rattles

Skin drums

Charms

Neckalces

Masks (on some occasions)

The Shamans used their rattles to summon up powers from the spirit world. Then they went into a trance, communicating directly with the spirits, asking them to cure the ill person.

Shaman's necklace

Shaman's charm

Ceremonies

'Potlatch' was the name given to most Northwest Coast celebrations. It comes from the Nuu-chah-nulth word 'pachitle' meaning 'to give'.

A potlatch was a big celebration that often took more than a year to plan. The ceremony usually corresponded with a person's change in social status, for example, marriage, birth, death, and coming of age. It included a feast, singing and costumed dancers, and some potlatches lasted as long as two to three weeks.

Most importantly, though, potlatches became a way in which families could show off their wealth to others.

Each person invited to a Potlatch received gifts related to their social rank. Some examples of gifts: canoes, slaves, carved dishes, and eulachon oil. The more wealth that a family gave away (as gifts), the more prestige was bestowed on them.

Potlatch dancers

Costumed dancers

Winter Dances

Winter Dances were staged performances with masked dancers that created an illusion of death or of direct contact with supernatural powers.

Chilkat dancer

Dignity Potlatch

The most important social event of the coastal people was a huge feast they called the potlatch.

A chief would call people to attend a potlatch to celebrate a birth, or marriage, or to mark the finishing of a new house.

He would honour everyone with gifts, the more lavish the better, to show everyone how successful a leader he was.

A Dignity Potlatch was held if an important person, like a Chief, had an embarrassing moment, like falling out of a canoe. The purpose of this smaller potlatch was to offset any humiliation the person suffered.

In Northwest Coast culture, a person could not be laughed at, or they lost all dignity. Therefore, a potlatch reestablished some dignity.

Art

Art played a major part in Northwest Coast culture.

They were known for their:

Basketry (basket, hats)

Woodworking (masks, totem poles)

Weaving (Chilkat blankets)

Basketry

The Northwest Coast people used baskets for storage and trade.

Hats were particularly important for the Northwest people because they were used as protection from the rain.

Woodworking

Woodworking, particularly carving, was an art form passed down from generation to generation. They made totem poles, canoes, 'bentwood' boxes, sculptures, and masks.

Totem Poles

Totem poles were large carved poles used to display the clan crest and social status of a family.

The poles were carved directly out of cedar trees, so some were up to 15 metres tall.

Most totem poles had both animal and human forms carved into them, usually representing the family crest.

Totem poles were usually painted black, red, blue, and sometimes white and yellow.

In Nuu-chah-nulth and Kwakwakw'wakw culture, a poles with a bird on top showed the house of the Chief.

It usually took help from most of the village to raise the totem pole.

Canoes
The art of carving canoes was passed down from father to son, and no one, except the official canoe carvers was allowed to carve the canoes.

Bentwood Boxes
Bentwood boxes were made from a single cedar plank. The plank was steamed and then bent at three corners and pegged together. Bentwood boxes were used to serve and store food, and were also common at ceremonial feasts.

Sculptures

Masks

Northwest Coast carved masks were an important part of all ceremonies.

The Haida had a transformation mask as a common theme was metamorphosis.

Masks in copper was a sign of wealth.

Beaver mask

Tlingit Bird mask

Weaving

Women were responsible for all the weaving, and they made clothing, mats, and bed sheets.

For weaving the women used softened cedar bark strips or cattails, with coloured grasses to add colour. The materials were collected during the summer months and then dried.

One of the most common things they wove was the chilkat blanket.

Weaving inside a longhouse

Clothing

Haida leather cape

The people of the Northwest Coast wore very little clothing, except when it was cold.

In the warmer months, men would often go naked, and women would only wear bark skirts.

The women made most of the clothing out of softened cedar wood or bark, animal leather, and wool.

Rainy Weather

Haida Spruce root hat

Since it rained a lot on the Northwest Coast, clothing was more important for blocking the rain than for keeping them warm.

They wore bark capes and spruce hats as protection against the rain.

Social Status

Two Haida Chiefs with Chilkat blankets and headdresses

Northwest Coast society was built on personal wealth and social status, so they typically wore clothes that followed the class system.

If a person was rich, they showed it by wearing fancier clothes and jewelry.

Chiefs (the highest ranking individuals) wore a chilkat blanket, dance apron, leggings and mocassins.

Chilkat Blankets

Chilkat blanket

Chilkat Blankets are one of the most well known symbols of Northwest Coast culture.

The colourful blankets worn for special occasions, were woven from goat's wool and cedar bark, and then painted.

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The Northwest Coastal People - Religion / Ceremonies / Art / Clothing

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Religion In Northwest Coast culture, their customs, beliefs, and history were passed down orally through stories, songs, and dances. They had stories about why certain things occurred, for example, the changes in season. There were also stories about each group and how they first appeared in this world.