This just in from Larry Ahvakana, King Island Creation Mask.Red Cedar, Yellow Cedar, Acrylic, Feathers, Ebony.
Larry Ahvakana, King Island Creation Mask
This mask was used to tell the story of the creation of King Island. According to legend, the Auklet, with the Bullhead, formed King Island. One time, a Shaman/Anatkut went hunting in his kayak on the sea. He saw a shadow in the water and harpooned it. It was the spirit of the bullhead fish. When the Shaman started to pull it home, he thought he wasn’t making any progress, but when he look back, the bullhead spirit was rising, and it became King Island, Uqiuvuk.
In the summer, thousands of Auklets nest there. They are a major source of food, and their eggs are a favorite treat in the spring.
