Thitikorn Chansasitorn
tchansasitorn@zagmail.gonzaga.edu
"North Wind Mask"
North Wind Mask (Negakfok), Alaska, Yu’pik, early 20th century, wood and feathers (Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Wind masks play an important role in the communal and spiritual life of the Yup’ik people. Masked dances celebrated spiritual transformation, but intended to herald the coming of springtime or to bring good fortune to an forthcoming hunt. They are often made in pairs, and are disposed of after use. The dangling wood pieces would make noise, evoking the movement of wind. The white spots may symbolize snowflakes. It calls to mind the experience of an icy wind whipping up snow, reflecting the coldest winters of western Alaska.
The Yup’ik, or Yupik (“Real People”), people come from Alaska. They are related to other Indigenous groups or First Nations including the Inuit in Canada, the Yuiit or Siberian Yupik. Prior to contact with foreigners (such as Russians, Europeans, and Euro-Americans), the Yup’ik turned to the ocean for their livelihood. They fished and hunted sea mammals, and often moved with the seasons to follow these sources of food. Many Yup’ik communities still live along the Alaskan coast—and continue to draw on these natural resources.