Masks are an important part of culture for Native Americans. They had many different uses, including ceremonies and gift giving occasions, and they were all made by hand. The masks were usually created to look like animals and represented different notions of spirits and characteristics. This mirrored the idea that clans were descendants of different animals; that tended to be reflected in the masks they created.
Along with masks of animals there were also masks known as portrait masks and they were modeled after certain people. This particular type of mask depicted the status of the individual the mask was modeled after.
There are three different known types of masks among the Native Americans. The first is a single face mask, and this is a relatively simple type. There is also a mechanical mask which has moving parts. This might include eyes or a mouth that opens and shuts. The third kind is a transformation mask, which was almost like having two masks in one. The outer mask would open to reveal a second one underneath. That mask might open up to show yet another one, etc.
Masks were created with whatever materials were available. Many, however, were made of wood. The paint was created out of materials that were available, and other items such as hair or straw were added as extra decoration.
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