@LasKa NatiVe Yup'iK MaSK

The term” indigenous” aka “aboriginal” means a group of people that naturally existing in a place or country rather than arriving from another place; while the term “people” define as a society or the men, women and children who live in a particular country. However, the term “indigenous people” describe as any ethnic group of people who inhabit a geographic region with which they have the earliest known historical connection, alongside more recent immigrants who have populated the region and may be greater in number.

There are many groups of Eskimo that live on these Earth. For instance, Yup’ik, Seranik, Inuit, and Aleut. The Yup’ik is a group of aboriginal peoples of western, southwestern, and south central Alaska and the Russian Far East with total population of 21,000. The name Yup’ik is derived from their word for “person” (yuk) and “real” or “genuine” (-pik). Languages that used widely among the Yup’ik includes Yup’ik language and also English in their daily communication. The Yup’ik language is written with the Latin alphabet in Alaska and with the Cyrillic alphabet in Siberia. For example, mikteɫratni means small in Central Alaska Yup’ik.

Meanwhile, Yup’ik is famous with their overwhelmed Alaska native mask that varied in imaginative forces. A traditional Yup’ik spirit mask was carved from different parts of wood, stained with clays, decorated with feathers, hides, beaks, teeth and other organic materials (parts of animals). The mask is varied in their unusual size and shape, ranging from tiny forehead “maskettes” to monstrous 20 pound constructions.

AlaSka NaTiVe MasK

Maiden Spirit Mask

Yup'ik Spirit Mask

Alaska mask presented a wide range of experiences through performances and stories. It is actually stage props and most were destroyed after performance.

Singing Spirit Masks

Yup’ik masks can be classified into 3 categories, which are angalkut’s masks, animal masks, contemporary masks. The angalkut (hunting) mask was make to reveal masks, and masks. An extraordinary experiences while animal mask was to get the animal’s return in the future. The shape of mask is usually deceptive. Therefore, it is hard to classify a mask as “yua” or “tunghak” based in their appearance. Thus, some scholars describe the yua type mask as an animal face or body in which a human face. At the same time, human face may also represent the angalkut and the animal. So, the only way to decide and classify a mask is by knowing the story it was created.

ANgaLkuT MaSk




ANiMal MasK

WolF

FiSh MaSk

Phillip Charette's "Wolf"

Ceremonial mask was known as an agayu in past. During that period, when people told stories, they would mention the agayuyaraq, which means the way or process of praying or requesting. Besides, term agayu define as mask on Nunivak Island. However, after Christianity was introduced by the priest, the term agayu was applied to religious ceremonies.

CeReMoNiaL MaSk