The Native American Mask

Hopi Mask

Our Goals
Become familiar with masks of all kinds.

Understand the importance of Native American masks.

Pay attention to the details of Native American masks and be able to incorporate those details into your own mask. Create a plaster mask mold with a partner. Use decorative materials to make your mask look like an authentic Native American mask.

Humanoid Mask

 Essential Question: What is a mask?

A face covering. Usually it is something worn on the face, with openings for the eyes. As a disguise-either for partying (as at a masquerade ball), to frighten or amuse (as at Halloween), for ritual, or for performance (as by dancers, or by actors in the theater). It may be worn to protect the face (as a gas mask,a hockey mask, or a physician's mask). It may also be any two or three dimensional representation of a face as in the covering of an Egyptian mummy's face. A mask can be a MOLD of a person's face a death mask if made after death, a life mask if while alive.

Humanoid mask Kwakiutl People, Northwest Coast

 Essential Question: What was the importance of Native American Masks?

 Native American masks were an important part of the Native American culture. They were used during ceremonies, given as gifts, and each one was hand crafted. This makes them very special. Native American masks had many different purposes including medicinal and spiritual uses and sometimes they were just used for entertainment purposes.

Humanoid mask Yupik, Alaska

 Native American masks were usually created in the likeness of an animal. These animals represented certain Native American ideas such as spirits, status, and characteristics. In addition, some Native Americans believed that each clan was descended from a different animal. This meant that some masks related to the clan the Indians were from. Many tribes believed that when certain animal masks were worn during specific tribal rituals that the person who wore the mask would take on certain characteristics of the animal depicted, they believed that the spirit of the animal would enter that person while they were in the mask.

Bird mask Yupik, Alaska

Grizzly Bear Kwakwakawakw, Northwest Coast

 In addition to creating masks with animal characteristics, they also created portrait masks. These masks were modeled after a certain person. This type of mask would depict the status of the person who the mask was modeled after. Many of the masks made by the American Indians represented things like strength and wisdom. Some masks were intended to portray an important figure in Native American culture.

Humanoid mask Nuu-chah-nulth, Northwest Coast

Sioux

Types of Native American Masks

There are three different types of Native American masks. One is a single face mask which is just a simple mask. Then there is a mechanical mask that can contain moving parts. For example, this can be eyes that open and shut. The last type is a transformation mask. This is more like two or more masks in one. The outer mask opens up to reveal another mask. The second mask may open up to reveal a third and so on.

Cherokee Paint Clan

Mechanical Masks

Transformation Mask

 Essential question: How were Native American masks made?

 Masks were constructed out of the materials they had on hand. This means many of the masks were made out of wood. Paint would be formed out of materials that were readily available. Also, items such as feathers, hair, straw and other elements may be added for further decoration.

Humanoid mask Nuu-chah-nulth, Northwest Coast

Hemushikwe Kachina Mask Zuni

Some masks were made purely for decoration while many others had much deeper meaning in tribal rituals.

Making a plaster mask!

Essential Question: What is a mask?

A mask is a 3 dimensional artwork. Meaning it has height, width and depth. It is not flat like a painting. The plaster mask we are making is actually considered to be a mold.

Our Project
Now its time to make our simple face masks! You will need to pay close attention to our instructions. You will have a buddy that will be placing the plaster on your face, then you will take your turn and do this for your buddy. This will take 2 classes to complete.

Essential Question: How can we make our plaster mask look like a Native American mask?

I want to hear your suggestions!

Paint your mask

Once your plaster mask is completed and dry, you will be able to paint it and embellish with feathers, beads, string and whatever else you like. Native Americans did not have bottles of bright paint and store bought decorations Remember that the goal is to make it look as close as possible to one of the 3 masks on your handout. Dont rush this part of the project!

Rubric-This is how you will be graded.