North Wind Mask (Negakfok) Yup’ik culture, Alaska, early 20th century…After freezeu
North Wind Mask (Negakfok)Yup’ik culture, Alaska, early 20th century…After freezeup in the winter, performance cycles were undertaken that were important to maintaining proper human, animal, and spirit-world interactions. Among these ceremonies, were those where costumed dancers performed with masks that transformed them into spirits, both benevolent and malevolent, for the community. The mask here, one of a pair, represents “Negakfok,” meaning the north wind or, more eloquently, the spirit that likes cold and stormy weather. Its white spots are said to represent snow flakes, and the many wood danglers clattered when moved giving a voice to the spirit of the north wind. One of a series of masks that includes representations of the south and east winds as well, the series is thought to refer to a particularly memorable weather event that took place in the early 1900s.Met Museum -- source link
#alaskan native#yupik#native american#north wind