Huk Huk Mask Dance
(1.8 MB )

This video is from a show we had in Seattle at the Stonington Gallery. It shows a Huk Huk Mask being danced by Randy Bell. The attendant is Tom Patterson. The mask was carved by Oscar Matilpi.

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This dance is part of the Hamatsa ritual. The Huk Huk is one of the cannibal birds that are associated with Baxwbakwalanuxwsiwe, the Man-Eater-of-the-North-End-of-the-World. The Huk Huk was said to break the skulls of humans and eat their brains. This mask, along with Raven and Crooked-Beak appear just before the last appearance of the tame hamatsa. Care must be taken by the dancer to not hit anything with the mask's long beak. It is the job of the attendant to guide the dancer around the room, warning him of any dangers.