The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1899-01-25
SAYAGE MASKS.
Weird Indian Relics of the North Pa.
cIfTe


, Among the masks, Of God, 81 his
| brother Atlkundan, as the Bella CoUls In
dams ON the eastern coast of the north
Pacific say, of the four Eorkmen, and of
the ten deputy gods now Gil exhibition at
the Museum of Natural History in New
York, one may spend most interesting
afternoon. These masks and wooden
figures, in the shape of man, are in the
| basement of the north wing of the mu-
scum, and are the most recent additions
| to the collection of chronological specimens
the Morris k Jesup' explaining parties are
making of the aborigines of the western,
coast of North America. The collection it,
self, says the New York Press, will have
the whole new west wing of the building
as soon as this extension isCompleted, and
DIR. Franz Boas, the curator, has arranged,
and catalogued the specimens. The
masks are perhaps the most extraordi-
nary festure of the display, which is~the
weirdest of all the museum has to show.
Besides these faces there are totem polesi
garbs of ceremony, costumes simple and!
beautiful in design, admirable lay figures
and hundreds of utensils of various,and
elaborate ornamentation.
A totem is a crest or coat of armsaof a
tribe. There are enough totems in, these
collections to illustrate an encyclopedia of
heraldry They are all significant, more
over, as the learned doctor explains with,
clearness in his picturesque report on the.
plastic arts of the north Pacific Indians,
which was published in last years Muse.
UNI Bulletin DR.. Boas says that this art,
like the art Of all other savage tribes is
anlmal-that is, begins with drawings If
animals. These drawings become moro
sketchy and conventional as the decorative
instinct develops.
A prominent figure is that of a bear.
He is doing a religious skirt dance after
the manner of the original Kwakiult, the
founder of his tribe, who was the biggest
bear that ever Wss born. Kwakiult add
mlred the two step and could do split in
tour directions atOnee. Methodists always
pass by this casa The sanction of antio-
uity which old Kwakiult gives to the
amusement their sect frowns upon frosts
their hearts
In the neighboring case a brave chief
wrapped in carpet is doing ceremony With
Implements, headgear and much mystery.
The weaving of the robe about him, both
in color and design shows that his peonle
have highly developed sense of harmony
and proportion. There is a decided sug-
gestiOn of the art OF eastern Asia here.
Indeed the lines and the oolors of this
decoration, as we'll as the natives them-
selves in their physques and countenances
remind one of the lower class-the coolies
of Japan.
One of the objects, if not the chief OBJ
Ject of the Morris X. Jesup expedition is
TO determine what relationship exists be-
tween the coast tribes of western Washing
ton and British Columbia and running
along to Bering strait and those across
in Asia and down along Kamchatka to
Korea, Some of Mr.. Jesup's explorers are
over in Siberia now. They have found va
rious folklore tales that correspond with
the legends and myths of Indians on this
continent; also a similarity in certain
household utensils. There are instances of
identity of words, which, however, Dr.
Boas believes may be accidental. The
structure of language on the opposite sides
of the Pacific comes in for rigorous inves-
tigation, and soon Mr. Jesup's generosity
will bear rich fruit and will throw light
on one of the most interesting questions in
historical research, Where did the Ameri-
can indians come from?
1t is remarkable how much there is in
cedar. These Indians get almost every
thing they need from it excepting food. 1t
| is more useful to them than bamboo is to
| the japanese. They make their boats,
| their huts, their clothes and many of their
| tools out of it. Their cedar bowls, boxes
| and chests are excellent achievements
/ Early japanese art was likely the same in
| kind as that of the Indians at present. In
| some ways it is the same in kind The
| nets, bows, arrows, spears, fishhooks,
| cum Gersome, but effective; their paddles,
canoes, armor and all such equipments NJ
these Indians bear a similarity to much
one finds among the tribes on the west
| shores of the Pacific.
Grotesque as much of their carving is.
there is much strength in the work, and
! some of the masks have great artistic
merit. There is large variety of subjects
| represented in these false faces They are
of all the animals on land, in the sea or in
the air familiar to the savages The sun
| is the chief He is "our Father, " che
one whom all must worship" etc. He
! has brother, Atikundam. The masks
Of these two deities are side by side in
case on the west side of the north wing.
They are Of cedar and feet inches tall.
In nearby cases are masks of the in
| habitants of the house Of myths, the work
men, WHO are lhUefCeSsOrS between COD
and man, and ten lesser or deputy deities,
who look after religious ceremonies and
the spiritual welfare of mortals One of
these is a goddess known by the gentle
name Of "the Eaters"
The things that people see are inside
OF them and not outside. No two peo>
pie see the same thing exactly alike
One woman may look out at beautiful
land Snann and oil tl,n i