A Shaman's Nepcetat Mask
Native American artist Phillip John Charette examining a Yup'ik shaman's "Nepcetat" mask at the Smithsonian Institute's National Museum of Natural History.
"This particular mask is extremely powerful, and it expresses a perspective on cosmology that is unique to the Angalkuq."
—Phillip Charette
Research on Traditional Yup'ik Art
A Solid Foundation for My Own Art
I am an Alaskan Native American artist who specializes in contemporary art of the Yup'ik tradition. As such, I feel compelled to learn as much as I can about the traditional Yup'ik masks and other Yup'ik art forms that serve as the platform for my art.
Because I am myself half Yup'ik, I've had an opportunity to learn first-hand about Yup'ik art forms and culture from immediate members of my family. But the sad fact of the matter is, in part due to forced acculturation practices, much of the art that once told the story of our culture has been lost to the world forever.
Fortunately, some of our art found its way into museums around the world, where we are still able to gain access to it.
A Focused Research Effort
With a burning desire to educate myself to the greatest extent possible about the art of my ancestors, during the summer of 2003 I made special visits to three museums for the purpose of conducting research. Each museum had significant Native American collections which were important to my research effort.
Here's where I went:
- The Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., in particular, the Arctic Studies Center, which is part of the Department of Anthropology at the institution
- The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture in Seattle, Washington
- The Portland Art Museum in Portland, Oregon
The curators of those collections assisted me in more ways than I can mention, and I will be forever grateful for the support they gave me.
Yup'ik Artifacts at the Smithsonian
Though I would like to share all of my findings at all three museums, that will need to wait for a book. For now, I'd like to share with you some of the highlights of my findings at the Smithsonian's Arctic Studies Center.
The tremendous scope and scale of their Yup'ik collection was simply mind-boggling, and in the week I was there, I was only able to see about a third of of masks, drums, and other Yup'ik artifacts that they housed there.
The experience offered me an open window into times gone by. I was able to look back into the world of my ancestors, and gain a renewed appreciation for their amazing ingenuity, craftsmanship and artistry. And most important, I was able to feel first-hand the power that these masks had, as well as the web of connectedness that they spun among the human, natural and spiritual realms of existence.
Phillip Charette examining Yup'ik masks at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.
Personal Impact of the Masks
I went to the Smithsonian primarily to learn about the Yup'ik artifacts from an artistic perspective. And because I was experiencing the collection from a "contemporary" Yup'ik point-of-view, I was not prepared for the kind of emotional impact that the collection would have on me.
That impact, to my surprise, was profound. I felt the power in the masks, as well as their spiritual connection to the universe, and it was all very precious to me. I was always sure to acknowledge the pieces in the proper way before I picked them up, just as my grandfather taught me to do. And each time I picked up a piece and examined it, I found myself shaking, and often drawn toward tears.
I was simply not prepared for just how powerful and inspirational the pieces I held and studied were going to be to me personally. Yet to my astonishment, I seemed to connect with each piece in such a way that I felt as if it was giving me a direct line to my ancestors and to their teachings.
I came away from my research with much more than I had ever imagined. In particular, I found a renewed sense of knowing that my purpose in life was to help educate people about these amazing people who were my ancestors, and in doing so, help people gain a better appreciation for the nature of the world we live in, and our place as humans within it.
Thanks to the Smithsonian
Dr. Stephen Loring (left) and Phillip Charette (right)
"Here I'm holding a "Qucillgaq" mask, which is a mask of a crane. This mask is particularly significant to me because "crane" is the Yup'ik "teasing" name given to me by my grandparents Nasguaq and Cunar. They called me Crane because everytime they called my name as a young boy, I would stand up straight like a crane ... which is how they knew that I was up to no good!"
—Phillip Charette
I am forever grateful to the people at the Smithsonian who helped me with my research. In particular I am indebted to Dr. Stephen Loring who spent countless hours helping me through the process, as well as to many others at the Institute who supported my efforts.
The Influence On My Art
I gained invaluable knowledge about Yup'ik art and what it means, and have since put that knowledge to use in the creation of my own art.
I don't attempt to recreate the traditional art precisely, because I want to offer my own contemporary twists, but I always try to stay in tune with the essence of the messages contained in the traditional works.
Click onto this Harvard Magazine article titled "Ancestors Influence," where you will be able to see how my research influenced my art.
Insights Into Yup'ik Culture
Here's an overview of what the pieces conveyed with regards to the culture of the Yup'ik people:
- The pieces provide evidence that Yup'ik people are highly skilled and talented artisans who are very clever, creative, imaginative, and extremely intelligent.
- The nature of the work also shows that Yup'ik people were extremely resourceful, skilled survivors, strong in stature, and extremely spiritual —so much so that spirituality is reflected in every aspect of Yup'ik life and art.
Status of the Collection
Here are some findings about the status of the collection as a whole:
- Though the masks are remarkable, very little information is available in the Smithsonian database about each of the pieces, including what their original colors were, what materials were used to create them, what their sizes and weights were, and their potential meanings.
- Based on sketches and notes taken when the masks were initally collected, it's clear that the appendages for many of the masks are separated from the masks themselves; many of the appendages and decorations on the masks have deteriorated; many of the mask pairs have been separated; and, many masks are being stored disassembled due to their large size.
Recommendations
The primary recommendations I have about the collection are as follows:
- All Yupi'ik carvers, artists, and cultural educators should take the time to see this amazing collection at least once in their lifetime. There is no other collection of Yup'ik artifacts on the face of the earth that is more comprehensive than this one, and no institution more capable than this one to guide you in understanding the pieces you will see.
- Given the condition of many of the masks, and the lack of information about them, additinal follow-on work should be undertaken to reassemble, repair and/or provide more detailed educational documentation of these pieces.
- The ongoing effort to bring in elders and youth to document relevant information about artifacts should be continued and supported.
Additional Information
Please click on the following links for additional information.
