| Cherokee mask makers work with many different types of hard and soft grain woods in making their carvings. Masks are made from soft woods like poplar and buckeye and are used in ceremonial dances. Unlike tribes to the west, the Cherokee did not use a lot of feathers in their dances, but instead used masks carved to imitate animals or people.
Before the introduction of modern tools, the Cherokee made their masks from tree bark. Holes for the eyes, nose, and mouth would have been carved using a knife made of flint. Animal fur or a few feathers would have been attached to the bark mask to show which kind of animal was being represented. The Cherokee used dance as a form of prayer to give thanks, to ask for protection, and for a bountiful hunt or harvest.
At the Oconaluftee Indian Village you will see Cherokees making traditional masks using centuries-old techniques handed down from generation to generation. |
