Northwest Coast

The Pacific Northwest Coast is home to many Indigenous nations, including the Kwakwaka'wakw, Nuu-chah-nulth and Nuxalk. Their traditions combine body decoration with carved masks, dance and inherited family histories.

Winter ceremonies could transform a village. A dancer appeared with the face of a bird, bear or other being, brought to life through song, drumming and movement. Some masks opened to reveal another figure inside.

The Kwakwaka'wakw Hamat̓sa ceremony centres on the dangerous power of a cannibal spirit. An initiate returns from the wilderness in a wild state, and the ceremony brings that power under control. It is a ceremonial story, not a description of everyday life.

Related animal and spirit images appear on bodies, house fronts and poles. They could identify families and their rights to particular names and performances. A powerful carving and a tattooed person might carry different versions of the same inherited design.