Incorrigibility
Description:
Print Method: Giclée
Edition: 199
Released: November 2024
Paper Size: 17" x 22"
Since time immemorial, there have been warriors living amongst my people. It is said that they would walk with stiff jerky movements and would train their entire lives to defend their people. In our winter ceremonials, warrior dancers are guided by ‘Winalaga̱lis “Making-War-All-Around-the-World”. This supernatural being was a tall, dark, thin man who travelled in a magical copper canoe. His primary symbol was the sisiyutł—the double headed serpent. This creature had a snake-like head on each side of its body and a human-like head in its centre. Surmounting all three heads were curled horns indicating that this was, indeed, a supernatural creature. While the simple act of seeing a sisiyutł may bring death to the viewer, certain individuals are able to harness the power of this serpent and use it in warfare or hunting. In our teachings, one side of the serpent represents good and the other, evil. In between the two heads is the human—a mirror to your own choices in life.
One of the foremost dances governed by Winalaga̱lis is the Ha̱winalał—the Warrior dance. In this dance, the Ha̱winalał enters the Bighouse covered in hemlock boughs. While pointing to the rafters, he screams out “Hai, hai, hai, hai!,” indicating that he wants to be pulled up to the ceiling of the house. The attendants proceed to pierce the flesh around his shoulder blades and top of his thighs. Through these perforations, he is pulled up with ropes where he then cuts his forehead—all the while grinning through his dripping blood. When he is later lowered, the ropes are pulled until his flesh breaks. In a weakened state, he goes to the backroom where dozens of tiny wooden paddles are sewn into his skin. A sisiyutł belt is placed around his waist, a sisiyutł headdress is placed upon his head and he carries a wooden representation of this serpent, as well, while he dances.
A little piece of the warrior spirit is part of each and every Kwakwaka’wakw: we were given our dances by the Creator and we weren’t going to let any newcomers dictate what we could and couldn’t do. When the Canadian government made it illegal for us to distribute property and practice our traditions, we did it anyway. The missionaries, the RCMP and the Indian Agents all tried desperately to make us cast aside our traditions. After they imprisoned our chiefs and noblewomen for potlatching and confiscated our regalia, our ceremonies went underground but…we…never…stopped! To the Canadian Government, we were the “Incorrigible Kwakiutl”. Normally, incorrigibility is a bad thing and means someone who can’t be corrected. To our people, however, we wear it as a badge of honour.
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