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Atlakima

Atlakima "Kukwadisila" Mask of Harry Mountain
Imitator Mask

Atłak̕ima "Dance of the Forest Spirits"

The Atłak̕ima is a special dance of the forest spirits. The dance came from a dramatic story about a young ‘Nak̕waxda’xw boy who was mistreated by his father and one day slipped into the woods to commit suicide. He decided instead to purify himself and seek supernatural power. As he traveled northward along the valleys he bathed each morning and night for four days. Then he dreamed of a supernatural person who instructed him to continue to purify himself. When he was finally ready, he was called into a great dance house whose entrance was under moss. From the supernatural beings in the house he received the Atłak̕ima with its forty masks, its songs and the house itself. Then the house and all its contents were magically transported to the village that he chose of his mother’s people, the Awik̕inuxw of Rivers Inlet, who learned the ceremony by listening to the spirits as they sang and danced.

"Smoky-Top The Art and Times of Willie Seaweed", by Bill Holm.



Kukwadisila "Listener"

This mask represents one of the many characters that make up the special dance of the Atlak̕ima, "Dance of the Forest Spirits". Among the possible forty characters that may appear, one that is consistent among the sets that belonged to privileged Kwakwa̱ka̱'wakw families is the Listener. The Listener is one of the key roles that is introduced to the dance floor early in the ceremony and is situated near the entrance of the dance floor. This location allows for the Listener to encounter every character as it is called out to dance. The Listener then shakes his head and imitates all that he sees and encounters as they pass in front of him. The Listener makes the sound "Ya’aha-a!" as he imitates the other Atłak̕ima characters.

The mask is typical of Atłak̕ima Listener masks particularly the bulging swiveling eyes that are made to characterize a being that sees everything and is able to capture all aspects of other’s behavior. The mask is also decorated with red and un-dyed cedar bark indicating its place in the Red-Cedar-Bark ceremonies. The white washing of the mask represents the spiritual quality of the characters, as they are spirits that come from the forest.

The Atłak̕ima beings are the spirits of the woods; the "Grouse" and the "Spruce" are the callers. Some of the characters include:
  • "Stump of the Woods"
  • "Laughing Woman of the Woods"
  • "Cannibal of the Woods"
  • "Dancer of the House"
  • "Raven of the Woods"
  • "Long Life Maker"
  • "Heat of the House"
  • "One Side Moss in the Woods"
  • "One Side Rock in the Woods"
  • "Frog Woman"
  • "Crooked-Beak of Heaven"
  • "Huxwhukw of Heaven"
  • "Rich Woman"
  • "Woman Giving Birth"
  • "Midwife"
  • "Twin Children"
  • "Salmonberry Woman"
  • "Sparrow Woman"
  • "Salmon Spirit"
  • "Listener"
  • "Sprinkler"
  • "Mountain Goat Hunter"
  • "Tying Woman"
  • "Dust in the House Woman"
  • "Helper in the House"
  • "Door Keeper of the Woods"
  • "Partridge Woman"
  • "Thrush"
  • "Owl"
  • "Raindrop Maker"
  • "Answering Woman"
  • "Walking Behind the Mountain Woman"
  • "Sneezer"
    • Adapted from: "Art of the Kwagu’ł Indians", by Audrey Hawthorn.



    The Atłak̕ima masks in the collection are listed as belonging to Harry Mountain: UCC-80.01.19 UCC-80.01.031 UCC-80.01.032 UCC-80.01.134 UCC-88.06.001 UCC-88.06.002 UCC-88.06.003 UCC-88.06.004 UCC-88.06.005 UCC-88.06.006 UCC-88.06.007

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