Barbara Nelson aka Hanzel the Watchmaker

Barbara Nelson-Summer-2008

Re: the traditions of masks.

Masks are popular in many groups. The Native American "Masks" had many and varied purposes from entertainment to spiritual and/or medicinal purposes. Many tribes believe/believed that when a person donned certain maks for specified ceremonies or rituals, the actual spirit of the animal entered the individual wearing wearing it and thus the individual was able to share this creatures power to some degee, be it strength, purpose,wisdom, and the like.

Barbara, I'm sure,absorbed the purpose, strength and wisdom of Hanzel the Watchmaker. Barbara is the greatest.

Some years ago we saw a mask presentation at the Denver Historical Center of the Northwest Coast Indians.

For pictures of this tradition google, native american masks or go to:

www.snowwowl.com/naartmasks.html