Tribal masks have been part of the dance regalia and traditional ceremonies of many Native American tribes since ancient times. The most renowned native mask-makers are the Northwest Coast Indians, who carve elaborate cedar dance masks. The most impressive of the Northwest masks, known as transformation masks, could be opened at a pivotal point in the story to reveal a second face carved within the first one.Sponsored LinksThere are ceremonial mask traditions within many tribes outside of the Northwest Coast as well. The Hopi and other Pueblo Indians carve and paint wooden kachina masks for their traditional dances, the Iroquois create sacred “false face” masks from wood and corn husks, the Inuit carve small masks called finger masks that dancers wear on their hands, the Navajo and Apache make leather masks for dancing, and the Cherokee would craft gourd masks for storytelling. Cherokee mask art has fallen into decline since the forced removal of the Cherokees to Oklahoma, where their traditional mask materials were not available, but some artists are working to revive the tradition. Southwestern and Northwest Coast mask carving remain a vibrant part of contemporary native culture.
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