Native American Masks

Masks have been part of dance and traditional ceremonies in many Native American tribes.

The most renowned native mask-makers were the Northwest Coast Indians, who carved elaborate cedar dance masks.

The Hopi and Pueblo carve and paint wooden kachina masks for their traditional dances; the Iroquois create sacred "false face" masks from wood and cornhusks, the Navajo and Apache make leather masks for dancing, and the Cherokee would craft gourd masks for storytelling.