LibGuides: 6 Art Masks: Inuit

Resources

Inuit: History, Culture and Arts
Canadian Geographic: Online collecction of information about the Inuit in Canada
Inuit: History and Culture
Inuit — Inuktitut for “the people” — are an Indigenous people, the majority of whom inhabit the northern regions of Canada.
Inuit People
While many Inuit built igloos, others built homes out of whale bones and animal hides and insulated such homes with snow.

Traditional Beliefs
raditional Inuit beliefs are a form of animism, according to which all objects and living things or beings have a spirit.
Inuit Culture and Beliefs
Traditionally, a feast was held when an Inuit boy killed his first seal or caribou. Women were married when they reached puberty, and men when they could provide for a family.
Inuit Mythology
The Inuit cosmos is ruled by no one. There are no divine mother and father figures. There are no wind gods and solar creators. There are no eternal punishments in the hereafter, as there are no punishments for children or adults in the here and now.

Inuit masks
In the Inuit Culture masks are largely used for dancing in religious ceremonies or festivals.
North Wind Mask
Many different materials were used to create Yup’ik masks. a Yupik carver used driftwood, baleen, feathers, paint, and cotton twine to create a mask representing a grinning face