Installation view: Pa̱sa'p, Norberg Hall, Calgary, AB, Jan 26 - Mar 2, 2024. Courtesy Norberg Hall.
Cole Speck Kwakwaka’wakw, b. 1991
Sisiutl Hunter, 2022
Red cedar, acrylic, cedar bark, horsehair
41 x 34 x 15 1/2 inches (w/out hair & cedar bark)
104.1 x 86.4 x 39.4 cm
104.1 x 86.4 x 39.4 cm
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Further images
This grand scale mask depicts the Kwakwakaʼwakw tale of the Sisiutl Hunter. Sisiutl is a powerful double-headed sea serpent who symbolizes duality and contradiction. Sisiutl could be rowed like a canoe, its flesh was impervious to any spear, it could inflict instant death by its glance, and it could cause any enemy who looked upon it to be turned to stone. Sisiutl is also a spirit helper who is called upon to make warriors powerful. It is a frequently used design on warrior headdresses, as seen on this mask. The mask's most significant feature is the powerful gaze of the Sisiutl, which is strongly manifested in this piece.
This large-scale carving depicts the Sisiutl Hunter from the origin story of the Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw legend. The figure of Sisiutl guards the house of the sky people and is central to the themes of warrior power, strength, invulnerability, the ability to cause death, and the contrasting theme of revival. The depiction of the Sisutl can often be found on warrior's headbands or bows, as warriors believed that Sisiutl's blood would make them invincible in battle.