dance mask
Pamela Smith (Contributor)
Vincent Evans (Contributor)
Dawn Randazzo (Contributor)
Deborah McMullen (Contributor)
Brandon Moonin (Contributor)
John F.C. Johnson (Contributor)
Vincent Evans (Contributor)
Dawn Randazzo (Contributor)
Deborah McMullen (Contributor)
Brandon Moonin (Contributor)
John F.C. Johnson (Contributor)
John Johnson: A similar one was returned from Paris. The mask looks Ahtna.
Pamela Smith: The shaman mask has no eyes to see through.
Hauke Ziessler: When the Ahtna came, they identified a drinking straw that was used by only menstruating women, an object that men weren't even supposed to look at.
John Johnson: It would be interesting to look up a book by Seaton Karr Shores and Alps of Alaska, for reference.
Brandon Moonin: Masking ceremonies in the Chugach Region, were done at the darkest times of the year. Debbie's kids also talk about this. They would do a masked dance around the fire with drums to scare away evil spirits and get through the long nights of the winter. It is also what we do now, to chase away the winter blues. It is more humorous than anything now, but in the past could have had a more serious shamanic meaning to it. One of the last musicians of this is at Port Graham. Some years it is really good, some years you can't get anybody to participate.
Deborah McMullen: Covid made this worse. People get wrapped up in the internet, "Star Link", so we are working now to bring people back together again to do these things. Our community has been shrinking, whereas Nanwalek has a lot of young people. When we were young we liked to do the masquerading, going until the band players say "that's it".
Brandon Moonin: Princeglove - if that is his name - talks about Russian influence and orthodox.
Dawn Randazzo: There are real Maskalaataq who take their masks off at the end to show that they are real.
John Johnson: There are the real small tiny people, who will come up to your bed and measure you for your coffin. Sumwasa (sp?)
Vince Evans: There is a slavonic russian peple who celebrate in their countries at the same time of year. And mountain people in Ukraine have the same type of tradition.
Deborah McMullen: I hear that there is something similar in the east of Canada.
Brandon Moonin: It is all coastal peoples with the moskalana.
John Johnson: Limited access would be really meaningful for shamanistic objects.
Deborah McMullen: I was always told that the reason for the mask burning at the end of masquerading, was to cleanse yourself of any evil that may have come to participate in that.
Vince Evans: They were afraid of the spirit, when you put on the mask and dance, that it would follow you home. So you would have to destroy it.
Dawn Randazzo: All of these objects potentially carry those spirits.
Vince Evans: There is a story of a baby born with alligator features.
Pamela Smith: There should be a ceremony for these objects. And it would be nice to surround them with plants from their home.
Pamela Smith: The shaman mask has no eyes to see through.
Hauke Ziessler: When the Ahtna came, they identified a drinking straw that was used by only menstruating women, an object that men weren't even supposed to look at.
John Johnson: It would be interesting to look up a book by Seaton Karr Shores and Alps of Alaska, for reference.
Brandon Moonin: Masking ceremonies in the Chugach Region, were done at the darkest times of the year. Debbie's kids also talk about this. They would do a masked dance around the fire with drums to scare away evil spirits and get through the long nights of the winter. It is also what we do now, to chase away the winter blues. It is more humorous than anything now, but in the past could have had a more serious shamanic meaning to it. One of the last musicians of this is at Port Graham. Some years it is really good, some years you can't get anybody to participate.
Deborah McMullen: Covid made this worse. People get wrapped up in the internet, "Star Link", so we are working now to bring people back together again to do these things. Our community has been shrinking, whereas Nanwalek has a lot of young people. When we were young we liked to do the masquerading, going until the band players say "that's it".
Brandon Moonin: Princeglove - if that is his name - talks about Russian influence and orthodox.
Dawn Randazzo: There are real Maskalaataq who take their masks off at the end to show that they are real.
John Johnson: There are the real small tiny people, who will come up to your bed and measure you for your coffin. Sumwasa (sp?)
Vince Evans: There is a slavonic russian peple who celebrate in their countries at the same time of year. And mountain people in Ukraine have the same type of tradition.
Deborah McMullen: I hear that there is something similar in the east of Canada.
Brandon Moonin: It is all coastal peoples with the moskalana.
John Johnson: Limited access would be really meaningful for shamanistic objects.
Deborah McMullen: I was always told that the reason for the mask burning at the end of masquerading, was to cleanse yourself of any evil that may have come to participate in that.
Vince Evans: They were afraid of the spirit, when you put on the mask and dance, that it would follow you home. So you would have to destroy it.
Dawn Randazzo: All of these objects potentially carry those spirits.
Vince Evans: There is a story of a baby born with alligator features.
Pamela Smith: There should be a ceremony for these objects. And it would be nice to surround them with plants from their home.
Measurements: 20 x 16,5 x 10 cm
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