Thitikorn Chansasitorn
tchansasitorn@zagmail.gonzaga.edu
"Killer Whale Mask"
Talon George, Killer Whale Mask, 21st Century (Courtenay, BC), red cedar wood, 26"h x 11.5"w x 13"d
This Killer Whale mask is hand-carved by Kwakwaka'wakw artist Talon George from the Gwa’sala and ‘Nakwaxda’xw First Nations. This large mask has been painted in black, white, red, brown, and green acrylic, and carved from a single piece of red cedar. The mask incorporates design elements and markings inspired by the carvings of his ancestors. Green and white bubbles on the forehead, while carved and painted u-forms on the face and fin grant its power and a supernatural presence, representing the Lord of the Ocean. The orca symbolizes longevity, harmony, travel, luck and protection.
In Northwest culture, orcas are the Lord of the Ocean, as some regard them to be guardians of the ocean; seals as their slaves and dolphins as their warriors. For the Haida, Sgaana xaaydagaay, the killer whale people, are among the most powerful of the people from the sea. Tales from Haida ancestors tell of putting on skins of killer whales to enter the realm of the spirit world, where killer whale people and humans visit, communicate and feast together. This theme of spirituality and interconnectedness between animals and humans persists.