Inside a small, darkened theatre, a dramatic light and sound presentation spotlights a series of masks while the story of The Treasures of Siwidi is related. Included in this spectacular array is the mask of Komogwey, “Chief of the Undersea World.”
Masked dance dramas are an important feature of Kwakwaka’wakw potlatches. Performances re-enact ancient encounters between heroic ancestors and various supernatural beings. Such stories, and the right to represent them graphically, are the exclusive property of individual, high ranking Kwakwaka’wakw families.
The masks displayed represent one such family-owned privilege. They depict the adventures of the ancestor, Siwidi, who journeyed to the Undersea World and encountered a host of supernatural creatures.