What do Native masks represent?
What do Native masks represent?
They were used during ceremonies, given as gifts, and each one was hand crafted. Native American masks were usually created in the image of an animal. These animals represented certain Native American ideas such as spirits, status, and characteristics.
What is a kachina mask?
In mask: Therapeutic uses. Spirits called katsinas (kachinas), who—tradition holds—first brought rain to the Pueblo tribes, are said to have left their masks behind when sent to dwell in the bottom of a desert lake. The masked dancers embody the return of the kachinas to help bring the rain.
Why did natives wear masks?
Indian or Native American masks were made for ceremonies, decoration, war rituals, shaman rituals, rituals initiating young man into the tribe, in healing rituals, in entertainment, given as gifts and spiritual rituals. Trained dancers would wear the masks and perform legend stories.
What is the Indian mask called?
The two best-known types of sacred Native American masks are the false face masks of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) tribes and the kachina masks (also known as spirit masks) of the Hopi Indians. If you see a false face or kachina mask for sale anywhere, it is either stolen or (much more often) a forgery.
What is a Navajo Kachina?
Kachinas are masked and costumed dancers representing various spiritual and natural aspects of life. They are messengers who bestow blessings and nurture life. Kachina dolls were once carved as teaching tools only to be given to the women and children of the tribe but now are made for all to collect and enjoy.
Who are the Kachinas and why are they important?
Kachinas can be spirits of deities, animals, and even deceased members of the Pueblo known for special kindness or prowess. One such Kachina, He-e-wuhti, wears the black face of a warrior. She is powerful and terrible to behold.
What is cultural mask?
Masks have been used around the world for centuries for all kinds of religious and cultural celebrations. Some masks honor those who have died, some represent animals or spirits and some simply disguise a person’s identity.
