Masks among Eskimo peoples

Eskimo groups comprise a huge area stretching from Siberia through Alaska and Northern Canada (including Nunatsiavut in Labrador and Nunavik in Quebec) to Greenland.

[2] It is believed that these masks served several functions, including being in rituals representing animals in personalized form;[14] being used by shaman (medicine man or angakkuq) in ceremonies relating to spirits (as in the case of a wooden mask from southwestern Alaska);[15] it is also suggested that they could be worn during song contest ceremonials.

"[22] The Yup'ik are Eskimos of western Alaska whose masks vary enormously but are characterised by great invention.

Yup'ik masks differ in size from forehead and finger 'maskettes', to enormous constructions that dancers need external supports to perform with.

Others represented animal people, (yuit), and insects, berries, plants, ice and objects of everyday life.