Illusions  for  the  Uninitiated:   Traditional  Special  Effects  in  Potlatch  Performances   By   Dionne  Paul   Master  of  Applied  Arts  Low  Residency   Emily  Carr  University  of  Art  +  Design   2016             A  THESIS  ESSAY  SUBMITTED  IN  PARTIAL  FULFILLMENT  OF  THE  REQUIREMENTS  FOR  THE   DEGREE  OF     MASTER  OF  APPLIED  ARTS  LOW  RESIDENCY       EMILY  CARR  UNIVERSITY  OF  ART  +  DESIGN     2016                       © Dionne Paul, 2016     1   Abstract     Nuxalk   Nation   potlatch   performances   are   multidimensional   displays   of   supernatural   mythology   done  through  the  use  of  traditional  special  effects.    This  is  an  untold  story  which  I  bring  to  light  by   reclaiming   the   descriptions   of   the   secret   society,   the   Kusiut,   as   recorded   by   anthropologist   Thomas  McIlwraith,  and  in  the  discussions  on  my  own  art  practice.  There  are  similarities  between   Nuxalk   traditional   cultural   production   and   western   mainstream   cultural   production   that   I   investigate  with  my  writing  and  my  art  making.    I  use  a  form  of  hybridization  of  traditional  special   effects   and   mainstream   special   effects   in   the   making   of   contemporary   ceremonial   art   objects   that,   like   the   masks   and   blankets   of   the   Nuxalk   Nation,   are   meant   to   be   performed   and   come   to   life.     Both  forms  of  special  effects  shape  the  socio-­‐political  issues  of  their  time.    Nuxalk  winter  dances,   which   are   generally   performed   and   witnessed   mainly   by   First   Nations   community   members,   have   foundational   special   effect   techniques.     I   discuss   and   elaborate   on   them   as   a   woman   actively   engaged   in   reclaiming,   revealing   and   participating   in   the   stories   of   my   own   people   through   art.     Nuxalk   secret   society   performers   and   the   magic   they   created   reconstructed   realities   that   could   be   collectivized   and   set   precedents   that   while   not   known   to   European   based   cultures,   were   demanding  and  technically  extremely  disciplined.    My  art  practice  builds  on  that  discipline  from   the   endless   hours   learning   specific   Nuxalk   traditional   methods   to   my   own   engagement   in   the   assertion  of  matrilineal  protocols.    In  addition  I  learned  extensive  special  effects  for  mask  from  the   film   industry   that   include   malleable   materials   to   allow   performers   to   emote   facial   expressions.     Through  conventional  research  methods  and  traditional  practices,  I  have  fabricated  hybrid  works   of   Nuxalk   art   that   blend   ancestral   aesthetics   with   current   techniques   of   the   special   effects   industry.  Researching  Nuxalk  ancestry  has  provided  a  lens  to  explore  possible  indigenous  artistic   advancement   in   my   own   art   while   ensuring   that   the   foundational   contributions   of   Nuxalk   traditional   techniques   are   acknowledged.   Nuxalk   potlatch   performances   and   Non-­‐First   Nations   stagecraft   have   both   mesmerized   audience’s   for   generations.   This   work   expands   on   those   creative   lineages  weaving  them  together  to  hold  space  for  a  re-­‐imaging  of  remnants  from  those  dauntless   cultural  trailblazers  of  the  Kusiut  society.             2   Acknowledgements     Great  Grandmothers  and  Great  Grandfathers  of  the  four  sacred  directions  hear  my  humble  prayer.       As   I   stand   and   face   the   direction   of   the   east   I   say   a   prayer   for   our   Asian   brothers,   sisters   and   two-­‐ spirited  on  mother  earth.    I  say  a  prayer  for  the  birth  of  all  creatures,  for  the  birth  of  all  human   beings,  for  the  birth  of  time  and  for  the  birth  of  creativity.    I  acknowledge  nowness.    This  direction   represents   fire,   which   offers   warmth   and   illumination   that   devours   all.     Through   destruction   grows  creation.    I  am  thankful  for  morning,  for  spring,  children  and  the  spiritual  self.  I  would  like   to   acknowledge   my   children   Shale   Douglas,   Mahalia   Baturin,   Zofia   Baturin,   Asanani   Baturin   and   Nukal  Baturin  for  being  a  consistent  illuminating  motivation  during  my  time  spent  re-­‐searching,   creating  and  writing.       As   I   stand   and   face   the   direction   of   the   south,   I   say   a   prayer   for   our   darkest   skinned   brothers,   sisters  and  two-­‐spirited  on  mother  earth.    I  say  a  prayer  for  the  curiosity,  innocence  and  trust  of  all   creatures,   all   plants   and   all   humans.     I   acknowledge   growth.     This   direction   represents   water,   which  offers  life-­‐giving  energy  that  cleanses  all.    I  am  thankful  for  afternoon,  summer,  adolescence,   masculine   energy   and   the   emotional   self.   I   would   like   to   acknowledge   the   young   female   Nuxalk   dancers   who   performed   The   Hao   Hao   and   The   Thunder   dance   in   April   2014.   The   young   female   dancers   are   Trinity   Mack,   Rainwater   Pootlass   and   Jade   Mack.   Their   collective   dauntless   gesture   was   a   profound   pivotal   shift   in   gender   roles   within   cultural   practices   that   I   was   fortunate   to   witness.     As  I  stand  and  face  the  direction  of  the  west,  I  say  a  prayer  for  all  things  red  and  for  our  indigenous   brothers,   sisters   and   two-­‐spirited   on   mother   earth.     I   say   a   prayer   for   reflection,   transformation   and   inner   vision.   I   acknowledge   intuition.   I   am   thankful   for   evening,   for   autumn,   for   adulthood,   feminine   energy   and   the   physical   self.     This   direction   represents   earth,   which   offers   material   substance   and   transforms   all.   I   would   like   to   acknowledge   the   adults   who   helped   me   on   this   path.     I  raise  my  hands  to  Karen  Anderson,  Vanessa  Hans,  Alvin  Mack,  Lyle  Mack,  Faye  Edgar,  Tara  Mack,   Lance  Mack,  Ian  Pootlass,  and  Chief  Rhonda  Schooner.    These  Nuxalk  adults  took  me  under  their   wing  and  shared  their  individual  and  collective  teachings  with  me  and  I  am  eternally  grateful.    I   would   like   to   thank   Dallas   Harvey   from   Vancouver   Makeup   Effects.   I   would   like   to   thank   Hanna     3   Leona   from   Hanna   Productions.     I   would   not   have   been   able   to   complete   my   self-­‐directed   study   without   the   assistance   of   Melissa   Meyer   and   Jennifer   Kramer.   I   would   like   to   thank   Gwaai   Edenshaw   and   Robert   Studer   for   assisting   in   the   production   of   the   glass   mask.   I   would   like   to   acknowledge  my  husband  William  Baturin  for  consistently  challenging  me  at  every  turn.     As  I  stand  and  face  the  direction  of  the  north,  I  say  a  prayer  for  all  things  white  and  for  our  fair   skinned  brothers,  sisters  and  two-­‐spirited  on  mother  earth.    I  say  a  prayer  for  harmony,  balance,   and   meditation.   I   acknowledge   wisdom.   This   direction   represents   air,   which   offers   the   non-­‐ physical   realm   and   connects   all.     I   am   thankful   for   night,   for   winter,   for   elders,   for   nocturnal   energy  and  for  the  intellectual  self.      I  would  like  to  acknowledge  the  elders  in  my  life  who  support   me  as  a  mother,  wife,  teacher,  student  and  artist.    I  would  like  to  thank  my  parents  Thomas  Paul   and   Delores   Paul   for   raising   me   with   a   strong   cultural   foundation.     I   would   like   to   thank   Hazel   Hans  Sr.  “Ama”  for  granting  those  four  young  Nuxalk  dancers  permission  to  dance  mask.  I  would   like   to   express   my   gratitude   towards   Sandra   Semchuk   for   travelling   to   Sechelt,   for   gathering   medicines  and  sharing  her  teachings  regarding  my  art  and  medicine  practice.    I  would  like  to  say   thank   to   Chris   Jones,   Angeles   Hernandez   Correa,   faculty   and   staff   at   Emily   Carr   University   who   assisted  with  my  process.     I  would  like  to  offer  a  prayer  for  those  who  are  homeless,  incarnated,  institutionalized,  murdered   and   or   missing,   have   mercy   on   their   spirits   and   help   them   find   their   way   Creator.       If   there   is   anyone  or  anything  I  have  forgotten  at  this  time  Creator,  please  forgive  me.  I  am  young  in  this  way   of  life,  with  all  the  love  my  heart,  imagination  in  my  mind  and  infinite  spirit  I  say  Thank  you.     ALL  MY  RELATIONS                     4   Table  of  contents     Abstract                          2   Acknowledgments                        3   Table  of  contents                      5     List  of  figures   6   Preface   8                           Chapter  One:    Fable  Factor                           Introduction                        10     Special  Effects                      12     Secret  Society                        10     Poetic  Faith                        11                      15         Chapter  Two:  Visual  effects  in  Nuxalk  Cultural  Production     Scripted  Spaces:  Potlatches                    15   Transmutations:  Cultural  lip  reading                16   Strings  &  Pulleys:  Puppets,  eyelids  and  erotica              17   Fire  &  Lights:  Fire-­‐rattle  and  a  war  chief                20   A  Matter  of  Bladder:  Stomach-­‐cutting  and  grizzly  bears            23       Chapter  Three:  Traditional  Special  Effects  in  ACTION              26     Transmutations:  Foam  latex  mask                26     Stings  and  Pulley’s:  Trans-­‐formation  button  blanket            31     Fire  &  Lights:  Fiber  optic  headdress            33     A  Matter  of  Bladder:  Purging  medicine  woman  mask            36     Conclusion                              37                       42       Reference  list               5     List  of  Figures     Fig.   1.   Smith,   Harlan   I.   61810   –   TIMOTHY   IN   COSTUME.   The  Bella  Coola  Valley:  Harlan  I.  Smith  Fieldwork   Photographs,  1920-­‐  1924.    Canada:  Canadian  Museum  of  Civilization,  1991.  Print.  Permission  pending.     Fig   2.   Paul,   Dionne.     THE   ECHO   MASK.   1860.   Wood   carved   mask   with   6   interchangeable   mouthpieces.     Credit  Union,  Bella  Coola.     Fig   3.   Smith,   Harlan   I.   58809   –   NEBBIE   WITH   MASK   The   Bella   Coola   Valley:   Harlan   I.   Smith   Fieldwork   Photographs,  1920-­‐  1924.    Canada:  Canadian  Museum  of  Civilization,  1991.  Print.  Permission  pending.     Fig.  4.  Smith,  Harlan  I.  58785  –  FIGURE.  The  Bella  Coola  Valley:  Harlan  I.  Smith  Fieldwork  Photographs,  1920-­‐   1924.    Canada:  Canadian  Museum  of  Civilization,  1991.  Print.  September  21,  1924.  Permission  pending.     Fig.   5.   Bukwus.     Year   unknown.   Artist   unknown.   Acwsalcta   School,   Bella   Coola   BC.     Photographer   Dionne   Paul.    Viewed  on  April  2014.  Permission  pending.     Fig.  6.  Paul,  Dionne.    Her  Shaming  Headdress.    2013.  Cedar,  ermine  pelt,  wood,  string.  Sechelt,  Canada.     Fig.  7.  Paul,  Dionne.  His  Shaming  Headdress.    2013.  Cedar,  ermine  pelt,  shell,  and  pearls.    Sechelt,  Canada.     Fig.   8.   Baturin,   William.     The   Stomach   Cutting   Dance.     2015.   Pencil   on   paper.   Sechelt,   Canada.   Permission   granted.     Fig.   9.   Smith,   Harlin   I.   56877   –   SON   OF   W.   MACK   IN   COSTUME.     The   Bella   Coola   Valley:   Harlan   I.   Smith   Fieldwork  Photographs,  1920-­‐  1924.    Canada:  Canadian  Museum  of  Civilization,  1991.  Print.  September  21,   1924.  Permission  pending.     Fig  10.    Paul,  Dionne.    Monster  clay  sculpt  mask.    2014.  Monster  clay  on  life  cast.    Sechelt,  Canada.       Fig.  11.  Paul,  Dionne.    Foam  Latex  mask.  2014.  Foam  latex  mask  on  life  cast.  Sechelt,  Canada.     Fig.  12.    Paul,  Dionne.    Airbrushed  foam  latex  mask.  2014.  Acrylic  on  foam  latex.    Sechelt,  Canada.     Fig.  13.  Leona,  Hanna.    Transforming  with  lights.    Film  still.  Sechelt,  Canada.       6   Fig.  14.  Mack,  Lyle.    Transformation  mask.    2014.    Acrylic  on  hand  carved  red  cedar.    Bella  Coola,   Canada.  Permission  granted.       Fig.  15.  Mack,  Lyle  and  Paul,  Dionne.    Transcendence.    2014.    Acrylic  on  hand  carved  red  cedar  and   acrylic  on  foam  latex.    Bella  Coola  and  Sechelt,  Canada.  Permission  granted.     Fig.  16.  Paul,  Dionne.    Transformation  Button  Blanket  primary  crest.    2014.  Melton  fabric,  mother   of  pearl  buttons,  backpack  harness  and  strings  and  pulleys.    Sechelt,  Canada.       Fig.   17.     Paul,   Dionne.     Transformation   Button   Blanket   secondary   crest.     2014.     Melton   fabric,   mother  of  pearl  buttons,  backpack  harness  and  strings  and  pulleys.    Sechelt,  Canada.     Fig.  18.    Paul,  Dionne.    Transformation  Button  Blanket  inside  view.    2014.    Melton  fabric,  mother  of   pearl  buttons,  backpack  harness  and  strings  and  pulleys.    Sechelt,  Canada.     Fig.  19.  Paul,  Dionne.    Fiber  Optic  Headdress  unlit.    2014.    Merino  wool,  otter  fur  and  fiber  optic   lights  on  mannequin.    Sechelt,  Canada.           Fig.  20.    Paul,  Dionne.  Fiber  Optic  Headdress  lit.    2014.    Merino  wool,  otter  fur  and  fiber  optic  lights   on  mannequin.    Sechelt,  Canada.             Fig.  21.  Paul,  Dionne.    Purging  Medicine  Woman  Mask  with  bladder  apparatus.    2015.    Glass,  vinyl,   various  fluids  and  salmon  eggs.    Vancouver,  Canada.     Fig.  22.    Paul,  Dionne.    Purging  Medicine  Woman.    2015.    Installation.    Vancouver,  Canada.                           7   Preface     My   name   is   Ximiq   “the   first   eyelash   of   sunlight   that   comes   over   the   mountain   to   greet   everyone   in   the   morning”   and   my   English   name   is   Dionne   Paul.     My   origin   story   begins   in   North   Vancouver   where   I   was   transplanted   (adopted)   from   my   biological   Nuxalk   mother   Cynthia   Moody   to   her   Nuxalk  aunt  Delores  Paul  who  was  married  to  a  Sechelt  man  Thomas  Paul.    I  was  raised  in  Sechelt,   but  with  close  ties  with  my  mom  Cynthia  and  extended  Nuxalk  family.         Delores   did   not   attend   residential   school   and   speaks   her   language   fluently,   she   spoke   to   me   in   Nuxalk  before  I  attended  kindergarten  and  transferred  her  teachings  of  spirituality,  ceremony  and   ritual   onto   me   throughout   my   life.     My   father   Thomas   was   a   day   scholar   of   the   Sechelt   Residential   School,  which  means  he  did  not  reside  at  the  school.    He  was  one  of  the  first  band  members  from   the  Sechelt  Nation  to  attend  high  school.    He  went  on  to  college  and  served  as  Chief  and  Council   member  for  22  years  for  the  Sechelt  Nation.    He  raised  me  with  a  strong  work  ethics,  encouraged   education,   supported   my   artistic   nature,   and   looking   back   he   was   the   first   feminist   I   knew.     He   instilled  in  me  a  deep  sense  of  personal  capability  and  self-­‐confidence.         Although   I   was   raised   in   a   home   that   promoted   both   Nuxalk   Nation   and   Sechelt   Nation   culture   alongside   a   western   education,   I   have   always   felt   an   internal   longing   and   searching   for   my   Nuxalk   roots.     I   remember   at   a   very   young   age   (perhaps   as   young   as   7   or   8)   setting   up   a   cassette   tape   player   in   the   bathroom   and   playing   a   tattered   cassette   tape   of   the   senior   elders   singing   Nuxalk   songs  while  in  a  bubble  bath.  I  played  it  over  and  over,  straining  to  hear  the  words,  memorizing   every   verse   of   every   song   while   envisioning   potlatches   I   had   attended.     When   the   tape   went   missing,  I  was  heart  broken  and  searched  for  that  cassette  tape  for  years.  I  never  found  it;  it  was   lost   somewhere   in   my   childhood.     Illusions   for   the   Uninitiated:   Traditional   Special   Effects   in   Potlatch  performances  is  an  echo  of  this  internal  desire  to  reconnect  with  my  Nuxalk  roots  and  to   participate  in  a  memory  culture  -­‐  retrieving  cultural  memories,  transferring  cultural  testimonies,   misremembering,   cultural   memory   loss,   memories   still   asleep   and   my   personal   memories   and   experiences.         I   am   a   First   Nations   woman   of   today   descending   from   two   distinct   First   Nations   cultures   ~   the   Nuxalk  Nation  and  the  Sechelt  Nation.  In  this  thesis  I  am  re-­‐searching  my  matrilineal  line,  that  of     8   the  Nuxalk.    The  Nuxalk  occupy  the  land  known  as  Bella  Coola  in  the  central  west  coast  of  British   Columbia.    I  am  a  transplanted  being  living  away  from  my  matrilineal  land  base,  yet  raised  with   cultural  knowledge  and  mannerisms  of  both  Nations  respectively.    I  am  offering  a  contemporary   indigenous   post-­‐colonial,   pre-­‐decolonized   feminine   crosshairs   view   of   the   mythology,   supernatural,  spirituality  and  magic  of  Nuxalk  Potlatch  performance  art  objects  and  the  behind  the   scenes  mechanisms  of  a  secret  society  known  as  the  Kusiut  of  the  Nuxalk  Nation.    I  am  searching,  I   am  re-­‐searching,  and  I  am  trying  to  re-­‐imagine  that  which  has  not  been  seen.                                                             9   Chapter  One:  Fable  Factor   Introduction     The  theoretical  framework  that  underpins  my  work  is  very  much  rooted  in  indigenous  re-­‐search   paradigms,   the   first   of   which   Shawn   Wilson’s1  book   Research   as   Ceremony:   Indigenous   Research   Methods   refers   to   as   relational   ontology.     Relational   ontology   is   the   relationship   one   has   with   people,  the  land,  the  cosmos  and  ideas.    It  is  a  notion  that  resonates  with  the  way  of  working  and   understanding   of   sacred   observance.     He   also   describes   himself   as   a   storyteller   rather   than   a   researcher,  which  allows  for  cultural  recognition  and  a  smooth  transmission  of  information.       Another  framework  I  call  upon  is,  what  John  Baker2,  who  wrote  the  introduction  to  The  Bella  Coola   Indians,  refers   to   as,   participating   in   a   Nuxalk   memory   culture,   a   process   of   active   collaboration   in   retrieving   individual   and   collective   cultural   information   and   compilation   of   descriptions   of   previous  Nuxalk  ways  of  knowing.    The  locus  of  this  thesis   re-­‐search  has  been  to  bring  together   the  unearthing  of  traditional  special  effects  in  Potlatch  performances  and  the  creation  of  new  art   objects  that   speak   to   intuitive   design   of   ceremonial   objects.     It   is   my   hope   that   I   may   contribute   new   possibilities   and   modalities   within   Nuxalk   and   Northwest   Coast   visual   art,   secular   performances  and  ceremonial  spaces.     Another  indigenous  framework  I  call  upon  is  the  weaving  analogy,  where  I  describe  some  of  my   research  as  threads  of  information  that  are  pulled  together  to  generate  new  images.    I  take  strands   of   information,   substance,   lore   and   permutation   and   weave   them   together,   disentangle   them,   pause   and   then   re-­‐weave   them   together   again.     You   will   see   in   the   art   objects   I   created   how   I   weave   strands   of   Nuxalk   cultural   practice   with   modern   materials   and   my   creative   sensibility   to   conjure  a  kind  of  re-­‐imagining  or  projection  of  possibilities  of  Nuxalk  aesthetics.         An  analogy  occurred  to  me  when  considering  my  resources  as  a  select  group  of  people  known  in   Coast   Salish   longhouse   ceremonies   as   ‘witnesses’.     Witnesses   are   audience   members   at   a   longhouse  gathering  who  are  asked  to  witness  (to  remember)  the  ceremonial  work  that  is  taking                                                                                                                   1  Wilson,  Shawn.    “Re-­‐search  as  Ceremony:  Indigenous  Re-­‐search  Methods”  Halifax  &  Winnipeg:  Fernwood  Publishing,   2008.  Print.   2  McIlwraith,  T.F.    “The  Bella  Coola  Indians”  University  of  Toronto  Press:  Toronto,  1948.  Print.       10   place.   Witnesses   are   a   cultural   record   keeping   system   based   on   memory,   first   hand   experience,   eyewitness   testimony,   observational   recall   and   oral   descriptions.   I   consider   my   resource   references   as   ceremonial   witnesses   of   that   time   period.     I   call   on   McIlwraith   as   a   ceremonial   witness  of  that  time  period.    T.  F.  McIlwraith  was  an  anthropologist  that  worked  with  the  Nuxalk   Nation   for   roughly   11   months   during   1922   –   1924   detailing   the   original,   uncontaminated   Bella   Coola  type  and  I  have  invited  his  written  words  to  speak  into  my  talking  circle  that  is  this  thesis.       I   may   be   privileging   a   non-­‐First   Nation,   academic   anthropologist’s   fieldwork   when   I   quote   McIlwraith   and   the   transcriptions   of   interviews   he   did   so   extensively.   I   am   quite   aware   of   the   problematic   approach   of   anthropology   and   harmful   effects   of   colonialism   as   pertains   to   the   reframing   and   appropriation   of   sex,   race,   politics,   land,   resource,   language,   spiritual   teachings   and   cultural   ways   of   knowing   into   Eurocentric   epistemologies.   I   have   considered   the   socio-­‐political   landscape   of   that   era   –   imperialistic   motives,   the   colonial   gaze,   racial   biases,   sexist   attitudes,   otherness,  language  barriers  and  the  ideology  of  ‘salvage’  ethnography.    That  knowledge  is  known.         What   is   not   known   is   how   I   saw   first   hand   how   the   Nuxalk   art   and   language   instructors   at   Acwsalcsta  School  treated  T.F.  McIlwraith’s  transcriptions  and  writings  in  The   Bella   Coola   Indians   with  respect  and  appreciation.    While  teaching  at  Acwsalcsta  school  in  Bella  Coola,  BC,  as  artist  in   residence  for  5  weeks,  I  witnessed  the  Nuxalk  staff  refer  his  transcription  of  specific  Nuxalk  people   such   as   Joshua   Moody   on   a   regular   basis,   converse   about   topics   brought   up   from   McIlwraith’s   writings,  poke  fun  at  him  and  even  sing  Happy  Birthday  over  the  intercom  on  April  8,  2015.    It  was   his   116   birthday.     From   my   interactions   with   the   Nuxalk   art   and   language   staff,   artists,   dancers,   elders  and  my  family  members  I  saw  that  they  are  aware  of  McIlwraith’s  personal  attitudes  and   judgments  towards  the  Nuxalk  people,  but  they  seemed  willing  to  overlook  these  character  defects   as  symptomatic  of  the  times  and  focus  on  positive  aspects  of  cultural  preservation  he  left  for  all   Nuxalkmc.  So  I  am  respectful  of  their  wider  view.     I  write  in  a  polyphonic  way  throughout  my  thesis  to  hold  space  for  multiple  layers  of  voices  to  take   the  floor.    For  example,  I  wrote  my  acknowledgements  in  a  sweat  lodge  prayer  format  in  order  to   clear  the  path  with  a  good  heart,  so  that  I  say  thank  you  in  the  way  I  was  taught  by  my  mother  and   we   may   then   enter   into   my   work   in   a   good   way.     This   layering   of   voices   alternates   from   first   person   voice   to   direct   quotes,   to   conversations   with   my   family   members,   to   sharing   messages     11   from   my   personal   dreamtime.     I   cannot   tell   this   story   on   my   own,   I   require   traveling   back   through   time  and  space  to  sift  through  remnants  or  shards  of  spoken  and  written  testimonies  from  Nuxalk   chiefs,  artists  and  elders  and  re-­‐constructed  memories  to  conceptualize  my  thesis.    At  times  one   voice  disrupts  the  conventions  of  another,  hopefully  opening  up  the  possibilities  for  transmission   to  occur.   Special  Effects     In  my  thesis  I  investigate  special  effects  as  technical  portals  to  transformations.  Special  effects  in   contemporary   western   society   are   conventionally   seen   as   manipulations   of   lighting,   sound,   costume,   stage   props   and/or   performance   used   in   theatre,   film,   and   television   to   enhance   the   story  being  told.  Traditional  special  effects  in  Nuxalk  Potlatch  performances  are  similar  to  western   special  effects  in  that  they  are  manipulations  of  lighting,  sound,  regalia,  masks,  ceremonial  props,   and  pyrotechnic  (smoke  and  fire).  These  techniques  are  used  to  enhance  the  story  being  embodied   and   performed   specifically   for   ceremonial   purposes.   Special   effects   in   non-­‐first   Nations   representations   have   captivated   audiences   for   decades   with   their   mystified   sensory   form   of   storytelling.     Western   performance   arts   and   Nuxalk   ceremonial   dancing   both   share   an   intensive   multidisciplinary   training   that   takes   years   of   hard   work   and   dedication   to   master.   For   instance,   in   western   cultures   a   performer   must   have   working   knowledge   of   drama,   dance,   music,   costume   design,   set   design   and   acting.   In   indigenous   cultures   a   performer   must   also   have   working   knowledge  of  storytelling,  ceremonial  dance,  regalia,  masks,  drums,  rattles,  whistles,  noisemakers,   song   composition,   and   theatrics.   These   common   threads   will   be   woven   throughout   my   research   and  body  of  work.     I   propose   that   the   purpose,   process   and   product   of   western   instruments   of   illusion   possess   parallels   with   some   aspects   of   the   traditional   special   effects   of   the   Nuxalk   winter   dances.   I   resolved   to   tease   out   parallels   between   well-­‐known   special   effects   practices   and   First   Nations   cultural   production   and   to   create   a   body   of   work   that   would   bring   to   the   surface   issues   of   contemporary  society  that  widen  to  include  the  Nuxalk.           12   Secret  Society:  Kusiut  society     Through  re-­‐search,  of  my  own  people  the  Nuxalk  Nation,  the  Kusiut  society  was  a  secret  society  of   both  male  and  female  performers.    The  Kusiut  society  was  a  clandestine  group  of  artists,  dancers,   performers,   and   singers   who   are   believed   to   have   possessed   supernatural   powers   through   initiation  into  this  secret  society.       I  asked  elders,  family  members;  mask  carvers  and  dancers  one  question.  That  question  was,   “Are  there  any  Kusiut  today,  if  not  did  they  know  who  the  last  Kusiut  was”?    The  answer  was   that  they  didn’t  know.  They  said  it  was  a  ‘secret’  society,  so  membership  was  kept  secret.  I   was   told   that   some   of   the   Nuxalk   are   trying   to   bring   back   the   secret   societies   beginning   with   the  Sisioak  society,  a  society  of  Hereditary  Chiefs,  but  that  is  considered  controversial  for  a   varied  of  reasons  that  they  did  not  want  to  discuss.     I  now  call  on  T.F.  McIlwraith  to  share  the  knowledge  of  my  ancestors.       “The  word  Kusiut  is  connected  etymologically,  according  to  native  belief,  with  siut,  the  term  for  a   supernatural  being.    Thus  the  meaning  of  the  society’s  designation  is  “The  Supernatural,”  or  “The   Learned,”  for  siut  has  both  these  significations.    A  member  of  the  society  is  likewise  called  a  Kusiut,   plural,   Kukusiut.” 3  The   term   kusiut   could   be   translated   as   the   ones   who   know   about   the   supernatural.”     The   supernatural   powers   of   the   Kusiut   are   believed   to   surpass   the   natural   law   of   nature   and   permeate  into  otherworldliness  or  thinning  the  veil  between  spiritual  realms.    The  Kusiut  society   performed   ancestral   legends   during   potlatch   ceremonies   and   accumulated   a   highly   regarded   repertoire   of   traditional   special   effects   to   conjure   a   visual   demonstration   of   connections   to   supernatural   forces.     The   uninitiated   audience   in   attendance   of   these   potlatch   performances   would   be   astounded   by   these   traditional   special   effects   that   could   include   a   Kusiut   performer   being  beheaded,  burned  alive,  disemboweled  or  transformed.    These  effects  along  with  collective   belief   in   the   supernatural   would   have   invoked   a   fear   and   other   emotions   within   the   uninitiated                                                                                                                   3  McIlwraith,  T.F.    Vol  II,  p1  “The  Bella  Coola  Indians”  University  of  Toronto  Press:  Toronto,  1948.  Print.         13   audience.  The  Nuxalk  people  continue  to  hold  a  firm  conviction  of  the  dynamism  of  supernatural   energies.     Stomach   cutting   dances   spewing   entrails,   a   drowning   dance,   hand   rattles   that   sparked   real   fire   embers   when   shaken,   bird   puppets   flying   overhead,   puppet   necklaces   animated   by   performer,   a   grizzly   bear   dance   with   a   mask   that   appears   to   rip   off   the   flesh   of   another   Kusiut,   masks   that   vomit,  bentwood  boxes  filled  with  hot  lava  rocks  creating  an  aromatic  steam.    It  is  these  shocking   visual  achievements  that  instill  an  unwavering  faith  in  the  audience  that  the  veil  between  the  spirit   realm   and   the   material   world   has   become   so   thin   that   transcendence  is   possible.     The   members   of   the  secret  society  are  the  keepers  of  this  knowledge.     Poetic  Faith     I  am  trying  to  understand  the  western  idea  of  poetic  faith.    ‘That  willing  suspension  of  disbelief  for   the   moment,   which   constitutes   poetic   faith’   is   a   well-­‐known   phrase   coined   in   1817   by   Samuel   Taylor  Coleridge.    Poetic  faith  refers  to  the  conscious  choice  audience  members  make  to  overlook   the  limitations  of  the  performance  in  order  to  accept  and  indulge  in  the  premise  of  the  story.         There  is  a  kind  of  embedded  agreement  an  audience  invests  in  the  act  of  watching  a  narrative  that   implies  that  they  are  mindful,  to  some  degree,  that  what  they  are  seeing  is  not  truth.    Yet  for  the   sake   of   their   own   entertainment   they   choose   to   interrupt   this   mindfulness   and   accept   the   story   that   is   being   performed.     The   concept   of   suspension   of   disbelief   is   an   important   component   to   the   success   of   the   special   effect,   which   in   turn   propels   the   story   further.     As   you   will   read   further,   this   premise   corresponds   to   the   beliefs   of   the   uninitiated   Nuxalk   audience   witnessing   a   Kusiut   performance,   but   with   drastically   different   concepts   of   cultural   audience   participation   in   comparison  to  western  audiences.     When   I   imagined   the   similarities   and   differences   of   these   audiences,   I   thought   about   the   wider   societies   that   these   people   were   situated   in   time   and   space.     One   difference   that   stood   out  for  me  was  the  fear  experienced  by  the  people  in  the  audience.  Western  audiences  did   not   live   in   fear   of   the   performers   on   stage–did   not   fear   of   living   amongst   neighbors   who   possess   magical   powers   based   on   the   fantastical   performances.       The   uninitiated   audience     14   members   of   the   Nuxalk   lived   among   the   Kusiut   who   held   the   secret   knowledge   of   the   supernatural.      It  was  said  that  if  you  suspected  that  a  house  may  belonged  to  someone  in  the   Kusiut   society,   then   you   one   walked   past   that   home   briskly   and   respectfully   so   not   as   to   offend   the   inhabitant.       In   a   conversation   with   Alvin   Mack,   a   Nuxalk   art   instructor,   he   shared   with  me  that  the  fear  of  the  Kusiut  was  always  eminent  and  that  it  was  known  that  in  some   cases  the  punishment  for  unintentional  observation  of  a  traditional  special  effect  was  death.     He  said  in  later  years  the  sentence  handed  down  by  the  Kusiut  was  lowered  to  a  kidnapping,   frightening  the  uninitiated  Nuxalk  into  believing  he  would  be  killed.  Instead  he  was  dragged   to   a   secret   location   where   he   was   not   killed,   but   initiated   into   the   society.     It   was   now   his   responsibility  to  protect  the  secrets  of  the  Kusiut.     It  was  a  collective  Nuxalk  worldview  that  was  being  protected.     Mythology   is   a   fundamental   feature   in   every   culture   around   the   world   that   allows   us   to   create   order   in   a   chaotic   existence.   Innovation   in   special   effects   and   mechanical   illusions   within   storytelling,  whether  they  are  spiritual  or  spectacle,  invade  our  understanding  of  what  is  said  to   exist   in   our   material   world.     Myth   making,   as   employed   by   Northwest   Coast   Nations   on   the   longhouse  floor,  is  a  sacred  way  of  explaining  how  the  world  and  humankind  came  into  being.    It  is   embodied  performative  storytelling.    Western  representation  of  special  effects  within  film,  cinema   and   theatre   presents   a   type   of   mythopoeia,   the   re-­‐making   of   myths.   Myths   can   be   found   in   the   supernatural   and   anthropomorphic   beings   superimposed   in   space   and   time   from   ancient   pictographs  to  present-­‐day  art  forms  elucidating  philosophical  questions  that  human  being  have   been   asking   since   the   dawn   of   time:   Who   am   I?   Where   did   I   come   from?   Why   am   I   here?   The   performance   of   mythology   has   the   possibility   to   connect   the   people   in   a   shared   cultural   consciousness,  in  the  value  of  being.       In   both   Nuxalk   and   western   mythological   performances   there   is   reality   effect4  that   follows   a   suspension  of  disbelief.      A  reality  effect  is  a  phrase  coined  by  Roland  Barthes,  which  refers  to   the   way   the   small   details   of   person,   place   or   object   that   makes   the   story   ‘feel   real’,   give   it   atmosphere.     In   order   for   film,   television   or   theatre   to   maintain   a   reality   effect,   the   visual   effects   within   the   performance  must  be  flawless.    Visual  effects  use  a  variety  of  processes  to  manipulate  imagery  in                                                                                                                   4  Hill  and  Wang.    “Roland  Barthes:  The  Rustle  of  Language”  New  York,  1975.  Online.     15   order   to   generate   a   convincing   simulated   hyper-­‐realized   experience.     This   is   also   true   for   performances  of  the  Kusiut  society  within  Potlatch  ceremonies.    Kusiut  artists  devise  and  design   traditional   special   effects   to   manipulate   what   the   audience   sees   to   generate   a   convincing   story   through  song,  dance  and  oratory.    The  reality  effects  produced  by  the  traditional  special  effects  of   the  Kusiut  along  with  the  collective  consciousness  within  the  greater  Nuxalk  society  support  the   suspension  of  disbelief.           In   both   Northwest   Coast   and   western   mythological   performances   there   is   reality   effect   that   follows  a  suspension  of  disbelief.    In  order  for  film,  television  or  theatre  to  maintain  a  reality  effect,   the   details   of   the   visual   effects   within   the   performance   must   be   flawless.     Visual   effects   use   a   variety   of   processes   to   manipulate   imagery   in   order   to   generate   a   convincing   simulated   hyper-­‐ realized   experience.     This   is   also   true   for   performances   of   the   Kusiut   society   within   Potlatch   ceremonies.    Kusiut  artists  devised  and  designed  traditional  special  effects  to  manipulate  what  the   audience   sees   to   generate  a   convincing   story   through   song,   dance   and   oratory.     The   reality   effects   produced  by  the  traditional  special  effects  of  the  Kusiut  along  create  a  collective  consciousness       In   my   travels   through   historical   literature   and   oral   re-­‐search   with   elders,   artists,   mask   dancers   and  art  instructors,  I  have  found  passages  and  information  that  speak  directly  about  reality  effects   during   the   ceremonial   winter   dances   of   the   Kusiut   society.     “The   importance   of   the   society   depends  on  the  belief  of  the  uninitiated  in  the  supernatural  powers  of  its  members…  and  most  of   this   information   was   obtained   from   men   who   well   remember   their   sensations   when   not   a   member.” 5     Nuxalk   belief   system   and   certainty   in   the   supernatural   superseded   the   need   to   suspend  judgment  of  the  implausibility  of  the  narrative,  performance  or  mechanisms  involved.     Kusiut  performances  were  absolutely  sensational.    The  Kusiut  dances  generated  fantastical  sights   such  as  transformation  masks  that  opened  up  to  reveal  an  entirely  new  mask  inside  or  eyelids  that   retracted   to   show   a   glowing   and   flickering   light   within   the   mask.     Kusiut   dances   produced   alarming  sounds  such  as  frenzied  screaming  and  hollering,  banging  sounds  from  underneath  the   floorboards,   on   the   walls   and   on   the   roof,   whistle   sounds   and   thunder   noise.     Kusiut   dances   conjured   curious   smells   from   vomit   being   thrown   up   into   a   bentwood   box   onto   preheated   lava   stones   or   the   smell   of   blood   and   entrails   spilling   from   a   dancer’s   stomach.     Kusiut   invoked   anxiety                                                                                                                   5  McIlwraith,  T.F.    Vol  II,  p2  “The  Bella  Coola  Indians”  University  of  Toronto  Press:  Toronto,  1948.  Print.         16   through  certain  dances  such  as  the  Cannibal  dance,  the  Scratcher  dance  and  the  Breaker  dance  in   which   the   performers   (under   a   trance   like   state)   bite,   scratch,   and/or   break   items   of   the   uninitiated  members  in  the  audience.     Through   a   complete   invasion   of   the   senses   Kusiut   members   built   up   their   performances   to   a   feverish  crescendo  to  create  tantalizing  physical  sensations,  emotional  eruptions  and  a  powerful   spiritual   experience   that   substantiated   their   superhuman   prowess   and   reinforced   their   standing   within   the   secret   society   and   within   the   Nuxalk   Nation.     It   is   the   use   of   these   traditional   special   effects   objects   and   mechanisms   that   assisted   in   the   building   of   this   crescendo   that   I   am   interested   in  unearthing  and  creating  new  art  works  in  dialogue  with.       A  significant  difference  between  western  performances  and  that  of  the  Kusiut  is  the  cultural  and   systematic  protection  of  the  inside  knowledge  of  the  workings  of  such  special  effects.       Again,  I  call  on  T.  F.  McIlwraith  to  share  what  he  learned  from  my  ancestors.     “The   scope   of   the   Kusiut   organization   can   be   most   clearly   outlined   by   describing   first   what   an   uninitiated   member   knows   about.     From   infancy,   parents   impress   upon   a   child   the   supernatural   powers   of   the   Kukusiut   and   the   dangers   attached   to   their   rites.   Such   instruction   is   perhaps   strongest  where  one,  or  both,  is  not  a  member.    They  then  voice  their  own  fears,  and  do  not  merely   deceive  for  the  good  of  the  society.    Steeped  in  every  child  is  a  firm  belief  of  the  near  presence  of   the  supernatural.”6       This   quote   exemplifies   the   cultural   imprinting   process   employed   by   Nuxalk   teachings   that   cultivate  the  reality  effect  experienced  in  Potlatch  ceremonies.    An  example  of  cultural  imprinting   within  Nuxalk  storytelling  is  the  story  of  Sniniq:  The  Wild  Woman  of  the  Woods,  which  I  was  told   and  retold  throughout  my  childhood.     When  I  was  a  young  girl  I  remember  my  mom  and  aunts  telling  us  the  story  of  Sniniq.  They  said   she  was  a  supernatural  being  the  size  of  a  grizzly  bear.  She  was  human  like  but  covered  in  long   hair-­‐like   fur   that   was   bluish   black   and   had   long   hair   like   a   woman.   Her   eyes   flickered   like                                                                                                                   6  McIlwraith,  T.F.    Vol  II,  p3  “The  Bella  Coola  Indians”  University  of  Toronto  Press:  Toronto,  1948.  Print.         17   flames  of  a  fire  and  could  roll  completely  back  revealing  the  ability  to  shoot  beams  of  light  that   would   harm   anyone   who   was   unfortunate   enough   to   look   into   her   eyes.     She   had   a   terrible   stench  about  her,  which  also  served  as  a  warning  that  you  were  too  close  to  her  and  should  turn   and  run  in  the  opposite  direction  immediately.    She  carried  on  her  back  a  large  woven  basket   with  spikes  inward  and  down  facing  to  render  it  impossible  for  anything  to  escape  once  thrown   in.  My  mom  and  aunts  said  that  an  accident  occurred  with  the  Sniniq’s  child  and  it  died  and  she   blamed   the   Nuxalk   people   and   vowed   to   capture   any   naughty   children   or   children   playing   outside   after   dark.     My   mom   and   aunts   used   this   story   to   scare   us   into   behaving   and   for   the   most  part  it  worked.  I  was  terrified  of  her  and  her  wraith.       The   fear   factor   of   the   stories   of   Sniniq   inhabited   my   childhood   and   permeated   my   psyche.   The   Sniniq  was  my  introduction  into  the  spirit  realm  and  ignited  an  unwavering  trust  of  supernatural   beings,   mystical   forces,   multiple   spiritual   realms   and   the   mystical   veils   of   perception.       In   this   example,   I   suspend   the   disbelief   in   a   mythical   creature   –   Sniniq-­‐   and   hold   space   for   the   possibility   of   the   supernatural   not   for   entertainment,   as   in   many   western   practices,   but   for   the   spiritual   practice  of  moving  towards  my  truth,  my  essence  that  partly  resides  in  the  Nuxalkmc  awareness.       I   am   an   audience   member   as   well   as   a   potlatch   dancer   and   I   know   that   there   is   a   lot   of   behind   the   scenes   action.     It   has   been   my   intention   to   visually   express   my   interpretations   of   the   space   between  the  performer  and  the  viewer;  the  realms,  beings  and  invisible  forces  created  within  my   own  practices.    Through  creations  such  as  a  foam  latex  mask  that  can  emote  facial  expressions  in  a   way   wooden   masks   can   not,   a   transformation   button   blanket   that   can   open   up   to   reveal   a   secondary   crest   in   a   way   they   have   not   previously,   a   woven   headdress   that   can   turn   on   fiber   optic   lights   that   blink   to   the   beat   of   the   drum,   a   glass   medicine   woman   mask   that   can   cry   tears   and   purge  stomach  contents  I  have  shared  my  sense  of  this  intangible  space.     Chapter  Two:  Visual  effects  in  Nuxalk  Cultural  Production   Scripted  Space:  Potlatches       18   In   the   book   The   Vatican   to   Vegas:   A   History   of   Special   Effects7  Norman   Klein   describes   special   effects   as   a   technical   marvel   that   controls   an   illusionistic   setting   that   has   been   set   up   to   deliver   elaborate   shocks.     Within   these   shocks,   an   allegory   emerges   that   immerses   the   viewer   in   a   reassuring   adventure.     The   adventure   is   often   about   a   marvelous   power   larger   than   life,   larger   than  humans  alone  can  ever  hope  to  be.         This  statement  by  Klein,  could  also  describe  traditional  special  effects  employed  by  Kusiut  during   Potlatch   ceremonies.   Traditional   special   effects   deliver   elaborate   surprise   during   the   cultural   performances.     Staged   through   a   Potlatch   dance   program   these   elaborate   surprises   construct   an   astonishing   adventure   for   the   uninitiated   audience.   Mythology   in   Nuxalk   Potlatch   ceremonial   performances   and   western   special   effects   industry   could   be   linked   to   the   underpinnings   of   the   term  ‘scripted  spaces’  a  term  coined  by  Klein.     In   a   vimeo   (a   video   sharing   website)   interview   by   Katherine   Bovee,   Klein   states,   “The   condition   of   this   high   consumer   culture   was   about   the   viewer   and   power.   That   all   these   illusionistic   spaces,   themed   environments,   computer   games   and   politics   have   a   weird   quality,   they   give   you   the   illusion   that   you   are   really   in   and   are   an   inside   player.   The   scripted   spaces   is   an   environment   programmed   to   give   you   the   impression   that   there   is   a   narrative   where   you   are   a   central   character.”8     It  is  interesting  to  take  this  concept  of  scripted  spaces  and  apply  it  to  Potlatch  performances  to  see   how  it  corresponds.    A  Potlatch  ceremony  represents  the  multifaceted  cultural  infrastructure  that   governed  some  First  Nations  people  along  the  Northwest  Coast.    This  social  framework  is  based  on   a   complex   system   of   wealth   and   exchange   of   wealth   that   validates   social   status   through   rites   of   passage   ceremonies   which   in   turn   authorized   claims   to   names,   songs,   dances,   masks,   spiritual   privileges  and  social  rank  through  public  demonstrations  of  family  lineages.  The  Potlatch  system   involved  a  hierarchy  based  on  the  accumulation,  display  and  distribution  of  wealth.    I  see  links  in   Klein   descriptions   of   a   scripted   space   and   Potlatch   ceremonies   as   it   pertains   to   the   uninitiated   audience  and  power  obtained  by  the  Kusiut.                                                                                                                     7  Klein,  Norman.  “The  Vatican  to  Vegas:  A  History  of  Special  Effects.    New  York:  The  New  Press,  2004.  Print.   8  Pacific  Northwest  Coast  College.    Bovee,  Katherine.  A  New  Stage:  Norman  Klein  on  the  Future  of  Scripted  Spaces.   Vimeo.com/17008887.  4  years  ago.  Website  accessed  April  15th  2015.       19     The  micro  society  of  the  Kusiut  within  the  Nuxalk  Nation  could  be  described  as  operating  within   the   scripted   space   of   the   Potlatch   system.     What   the   audience   preconceived   before   entering   the   scripted  space  of  the  longhouse,  what  they  saw  in  the  scripted  space  of  the  longhouse,  what  they   heard  in  the  scripted  space  of  the  longhouse,  what  they  felt  in  the  scripted  space  of  the  longhouse,   what   they   smelled   in   the   scripted   space   of   the   longhouse,   what   the   overall   experience   was   for   the   audience   was   all   premeditated   by   the   Kusiut   society   to   elevate   their   social   standing   and   gain   cultural  power  through  their  elaborate  shocks  of  their  performances.     Transmutation:  Cultural  lip  reading     I   would   now   like   to   introduce   some   of   the   cultural   characters   that   I   spent   time   re-­‐discovering   and   examining   for   individual   reality   effects.     I   present   these   cultural   characters   in   order   of   the   specific   traditional  special  effect.    I  will  further  illustrate  the  relational  relationship  between  this  re-­‐search   and  my  new  works  of  art.     The   Echo   Mask   is   a   transformation   mask   of   a   supernatural   being   that   possesses   the   ability   of   invisibility.     A   transformation   mask   is   facial   mask   that   can   change   its   shape   or   appearance   to   express   a   metaphysical   transformation   through   a   traditional   special   effect,   in   this   case   interchangeable   mouthpieces.     The   Echo   Mask   is   designed   to   accommodate   the   swapping   of   multiple  mouthpieces  to  express  a  different  state  of  being  or  to  create  a  facial  expression  on  the   mask  that  corresponds  to  the  part  of  the  story  being  danced.       20     Fig.  1                 Fig.  2     The  Echo  mask  performer  dances  around  and  when  it  is  time  to  change  mouthpieces  he  holds  his   regalia  blanket  in  front  of  the  mask  to  provide  cover.    Under  this  temporary  facial  curtain,  he  slides   the  current  mouthpiece  off  and  replaces  it  with  the  next  mouthpiece.    These  mouthpieces  would   be  contained  in  a  pouch  hidden  under  his  regalia.    He  then  lowers  the  regalia  blanket  to  reveal  the   new  mouthpieces  and  the  audience  would  translate  the  new  mouthpieces  in  a  kind  of  cultural  lip   reading  interpreting  the  new  mouthpiece  to  understand  the  story  being  danced.     I   have   an   older   sister   named   Nikki   on   my   biological   father’s   side,   she   was   raised   with   her   mother  in  Alberta  and  I  met  her  in  my  early  adulthood.    Nikki  is  deaf  and  uses  sign  language,   lip   reading   and   passing   notes   to   communicate   with   people.     We   have   fostered   a   close   relationship  over  the  years  and  she  has  visited  my  family  in  Sechelt  a  number  of  times.    My   husband,   children   and   I   would   practice   words   in   sign   language   before   each   arrival   and   we   were   all   very   eager   to   continue   learning   how   to   speak   with   our   hands.     A   few   years   later   while  teaching  in  Bella  Coola,  I  went  to  visit  the  Echo  mask  in  Fig.  2,  which  is  housed  at  the   Bella   Coola   Credit   Union.     My   auntie   Karen   had   some   banking   to   do   and   brought   me   along   to   view   the   mask.     I   stood   looking   at   the   Echo   Mask   and   asked   both   the   mask   and   myself   “what   are  you  trying  to  tell  me?”  It  occurred  to  me  that  in  order  to  understand  what  the  Echo  mask   was  communicating  I  would  have  to  read  the  mouthpieces  of  the  mask  in  the  same  way  my   sister   Nikki   lip-­‐reads.     I   found   the   description   of   cultural   lip   reading   an   appropriate   addition   to  me  written  work.     21     Transformation  is  a  significant  element  of  myth  sharing  and  of  understanding  the  veil  between  our   material  world  and  that  of  the  spirit  realm.    Traditional  special  effects  are  the  vehicle  that  activates   and   animates   the   cultural   character   within   Potlatch   performances   and   allows   the   performer   to   achieve   a   visual   transformation.     Traditional   special   effects   weave   together   the   Nuxalk   legend,   the   cultural  character,  the  performer  and  the  audience  into  one  pivotal  moment  where  the  ordinary   becomes   extraordinary   and   magic   is   possible.   To   witness   a   phenomenal   feat   such   as   a   transformation   unfold   before   your   eyes   is   spellbinding   for   both   the   audiences   of   today   of   yesteryear.    This  type  of  reverential  experience  is  timeless  and  unwavering  in  its  marvel  and  could   be   comparable   to   watching   a   live   performance   of   Cirque   De   Soleil,   a   world-­‐renowned   Canadian   Circus  company  known  for  wondrous  performances  and  high  levels  of  discipline.     Strings  and  Pulley’s:  Puppets,  eyelids  and  erotica     I   call   upon   Harlin   I.   Smith,   the   anthropological   photographer   who   made   these   photographs   of   masks   and   puppets,   to   share   the   brief   descriptions   he   gathered   from   my   ancestors   about   the   following  images.     “The   information   in   The  Bella  Coola  Valley:  Harlan  I.  Smith’s  Fieldwork  Photographs,  1920  -­‐  19249   accompanying   the   photograph   of   the   puppet-­‐patron   in   Fig   3   and   Fig   4   states   briefly   that   the   puppet  hangs  from  the  performers  neck  and  is  operated  by  strings.    Puppetry  is  an  ancient  form  of   storytelling   whereby   an   inanimate   object   is   activated   through   an   apparatus   of   strings   that   is   manipulated  by  a  puppeteer.”                                                                                                                         9  Tepper,  Leslie  H.    The  Bella  Coola  Valley:    Harlin  I.  Smith  Fieldwork  Photographs,  1920  –  1924.    Quebec,  1991.  Print.             22           Fig  3                 Fig.  4    I  call  upon  T.F.  McIlwraith  to  offer  substantiating  Nuxalk  memory  regarding  the  systems  of  strings   and  pulley’s  in  Nuxalk  ceremonial  dances.     “A  whistle  sounds,  the  Kukusiut  women  drone  and  the  uninitiated  see  one  of  the  puppets  figurines   move   across   the   back   of   the   house,   though   they   do   not   see   the   concealed   ropes   by   which   this  is   managed…   another   device   is   to   have   the   puppet   suspended   from   the   roof   by   means   of   similar   cords,  invisible  in  the  darkness…  Emphasis  must  again  be  laid  on  the  awe,  mystery  and  power  of   the  ceremonies  in  the  eyes  of  those  who  do  not  understand  them,  and  the  very  great  skill  shown   by   the   carpenters   in   the   making   use   of   hidden   strings,   trap-­‐doors,   and   other   devices   to   increase   the  dramatic  effect.”10       Strings  are  traditional  special  effect  used  to  animate  the  reality  effect  in  Kusiut  dances  whether  it   is  making  the  transformation  mask  open  and  close  or  make  the  eyelids  of  the  Bukwus  mask  open   and   close.   In   this   case   the   strings   are   used   to   animate   the   actions   of   puppet-­‐patron   around   the   performers  neck.                                                                                                                     10    McIlwraith,  T.F.    Vol  II,  p132  “The  Bella  Coola  Indians”  University  of  Toronto  Press:  Toronto,  1948.  Print.         23   This   Bukwus   mask,   which   is   housed   at   the   Acwsalcta   School,   is   another   example   of   strings   and   pulley’s  in  the  retractable  leather  eyelids.  The  retractable  eyelids  peel  back  to  reveal  shiny  sheets   of  copper  that  would  appear  to  glow  and  flicker  when  danced  near  an  open  fire.         Fig.  5       The  traditional  special  effect  in  this  mask  and  performance  is  made  possible  by  a  string  and  pulley   mechanism  and  the  optical  illusion  of  the  light  reflecting  off  the  shiny  copper.    String  and  pulley   system  is  a  straightforward  device  that  can  be  operated  with  ease  and  concealed  effectively.    This   is  a  traditional  special  effect  is  a  favorable  choice  that  has  been  used  in  other  ceremonial  objects   such  as  headdresses.         During   my   first   summer   intensive,   I   was   preparing   for   RezErect:  Native  Erotica   exhibit   at   the   Bill  Reid  Gallery  exploring  indigenous  sensuality  and  sexuality  from  the  point  of  view  of  27   First  Nations  artists.    During  my  re-­‐search  into  the  cultural  politics  of  sex  and  sexuality  for   this   exhibition,   I   came   across   a   Nuxalk   marital   shaming   ceremony.     These   ceremonial   art   objects   associated   with   this   rite   as   described   in  The  Bella  Coola  Indians,   “the   deserted   wife   used  to  dance,  wearing  above  her  head  representations  of  a  penis  and  testicles.    By  means  of   hidden  strings  she  was  able  to  cause  the  former  to  become  erect.”           24   This   art   object   distilled   all   my   creative   energies   at   that   time   –   traditional   special   effects,   gender   roles   within   ceremony,   sexual   politics   and   indigenous   humor.     I   set   out   with   courage   to   investigate   cultural   implications   both   past   and   present   through   my   creative   process   of   re-­‐ imagining  this  previously  unseen  ceremonial  art  object.     I  started  with  the  female  headdress,  creating  a  headdress  with  male  genitalia  frontlet  made   from   cedar   and   adorned   with   ermine   skins.     I   then   designed   a   male   headdress   with   a   female   genitalia   frontlet   from   cedar,   ermine   skin,   clamshell   and   gemstones.     I   am   sharing   this   personal  story  relative  to  the  use  of  strings  and  pulleys  because  the  story  reveals  the  shock   factor   of   ceremonial   performances.     Performance   shocks   frightened   the   uninitiated   audience   and  deterred  undesirable  behaviors.      Some  of  these  cultural  shocks  employed  humor.           Fig.  6                   Fig.  7     While   creating   these   headdresses,   I   imagined   the   original   Nuxalk   artists   who   would   have   fashioned   these   headdresses   and   the   conversations   about   the   logistics.   I   imagined   the   laughter   that   was   generated   from   these   conversations   and   through   their   creation   as   I   experienced   moments   of   laughter   in   my   studio.     I   imagined   the   actual   ceremony   of   the   shaming  and  the  wife  walking  out  onto  the  dance  floor  wearing  the  genitalia  headdress  and   the   dancing   while   activating   the   strings   attached   to   the   phallic   frontlet   and   the   roars   of   laughter   that   would   undoubtedly   follow   the   performance.     I   witnessed   roars   of   laughter   at   the  Bill  Reid  Gallery  when  I  saw  visitors  interacting  with  my  headdresses  by  trying  them  on     25   and   activating   the   strings.   It   was   next   to   impossible   for   them   to   not   laugh   and   it   was   a   joy   to   watch.       It   occurred   to   me   that   the   creative   process   of   the   making   these   ceremonial   objects   may   have   been   a   cathartic   process   for   the   maker   and   the   ceremony   itself   a   healing   process   for   the   married  couple  and  extended  family  affected  by  the  marital  indiscretion.    I  was  taught  that   laughter,   humor   and   play   are   good   medicine   and   perhaps   this   was   true   for   these   headdresses.     I   know   I   found   myself   in   fits   of   laughter   while   activating   the   headdress   for   the   first  time.    My  husband  laughed  when  he  saw  it  on  my  head  and  in  motion  and  the  curators  of   the  exhibition  enjoyed  burst  of  laughter  in  the  video  clips  I  sent  them  for  pre-­‐approval.     My   creative   process   moves   cyclically   through   several   emotional   stages:   inspiration,   building   excitement,   cultural   identity   euphoria,   cultural   responsibility   anxiety,   personal   doubt,   elder   and/or  collective  critique  panic,  personal  leap  of  faith,  creative  fortitude,  exhaustion,  gratification   and  then  finally  an  ebbing  of  energy  and  a  restorative  period.    Each  piece  I  create  moves  multiple   pathways.   I   conceive   of   each   art   object   that   I   create   with   respect   and   careful   consideration   for   the   past,   my   ancestors,   for   the   present   and   for   future   generations.   I   allow   each   piece   to   develop   through  these  evolutionary  stages  to  transfer  a  kind  of  interwoven  agency.                   Fire  &  Lights:  Fire-­‐rattle  and  a  war  chief       The  Nuxalk  believe  the  supernatural  ones  in  the  upper  land  resemble  human  beings  and  some  are   more  powerful  than  other.  The  most  powerful  and  most  feared  is  the  senior  Kusiut,  the  Thunder.     During   the   Thunder   dance,   wooden   rattles   pierced   with   holes   were   be   filled   with   burning   embers   that  would  smoke  and  spark  when  shaken.  The  traditional  special  effect  in  this  performance  is  the   unique  use  of  smoldering  embers  to  embody  the  energy  of  a  thunderstorm.         I  listen  to  McIlwraith’s  written  words  from  my  ancestors  witness  in  my  mind:     “When  the  mighty  supernatural  one  has  almost  completed  a  circuit  of  the  fire  he  stops,  holds  out   his  shaking  arms  over  it  and  absorbs  power  from  the  smoke.  One  of  the  Kukusiut  thrusts  into  his   hand   a   perforated   rattle   containing   smoldering   cedar   bark.     Carrying   this,   Thunder   again   leaps     26   down  and  dances  around  the  fire  shaking  out  the  burning  sparks  from  the  rattle.  The  announcer   cries  out:  The  fire  Kusiut  of  the  supernatural  ones  has  been  with  us;  his  fire  is  too  wonderful  for   us….   Thunder   informs   the   uninitiated   that   his   fire-­‐rattle   is   the   bird   of   lightening,   a   mysterious   creature”11     The   traditional   special   effect   within   this   dance   is   the   rattle   that   appears   to   be   producing   smoke   and  fire  from  within  caused  by  the  spirit  of  lightening.    The  merging  of  art  and  spirituality  within   cultural  participation  has  been  a  consistent  source  of  enchantment  and  pride  that  fuels  my  artistic   curiosity  to  find  the  boundaries  and  forge  new  routes.    I  see  where  the  spirit  of  the  insurgent  artist   within  me  recognizes  the  ingenious  and  dauntless  artist  within  the  Kusiut  society.     Yet   another   example   of   dauntless   creations   by   the   Kusiut   society   is   in   the   Kitkatla   War   Chief   dance.    I  have  brought  this  dance  into  this  writing  to  demonstrate  a  clever  way  to  use  ceremony  in   new   format   that   both   shocks   and   delights   the   audience.   When   my   aunt   told   me   the   story,   I   felt   shivers   of   excitement   and   chills   running   on   my   arms   and   up   my   back   as   the   climax   of   the   story   built  up  to  an  explosive  crescendo!     My  Auntie  Karen  told  me  the  story  of  a  Kitkatla  war  chief  who  was  so  feared  and  respected  that   when  he  arrived  on  the  shores  of  Bella  Coola,  the  people  built  a  platform  for  his  to  walk  onto   straight  from  his  canoe  so  he  wouldn’t  have  to  touch  the  ground.  He  was  carried  from  the  shore   to  the  longhouse.  The  head  chief  from  the  Nuxalk  Nation  danced  around  the  war  chief  sitting  on   a   platform   with   a   gun.     At   some   point   during   the   dance   the   Nuxalk   chief   stopped   in   front   of   the   Kitkatla   war   chief   and   kneeled   down   on   one   knee   and   pointed   the   gun   directly   at   his   face.   A   hush  fell  over  the  crowd  as  everyone  sat  in  silence.    THE  NUXALK  CHIEF  PULLED  THE  TRIGGER!   (My   aunt   paused   for   what   seemed   like   a   long   time.)     Gasps   and   hollers   filled   the   room   as   the   audience  thought  he  had  shot  and  killed  the  Kitkatla  Chief.    Instead  of  killing  the  Kitkatla  war   Chief,  eagle  down  came  floating  out  of  the  barrel.  (Eagle  down  feathers  is  our  highest  form  of   honor  during  any  ceremony).     Again  I  call  upon  McIlwraith  to  tell  the  story  as  told  to  him:                                                                                                                     11  McIlwraith,  T.F.    Vol  II,  p  184  “The  Bella  Coola  Indians”  University  of  Toronto  Press:  Toronto,  1948.  Print.         27   “Having  waited  for  several  days  the  party  came  up  the  Bella  Coola  River,  their  canoe  loaded  with   presents   and   eagle   down,   while   Tcibisa’s   brother   Ne:islo:s,   wore   the   mask   of   his   Tutwinam   as   further  proof  of  friendly  intentions.  It  was  unusual  to  display  one  except  in  a  sisaok  ceremonial,   but  this  was  an  unprecedented  event;  he  knew  that  he  might  soon  be  killed  and  he  preferred  to  die   while   bearing   the   obvious   mark   of   incorporation   with   some   incident   of   an   ancestral   myth…   Pottes   (the  last  great  Nuxalk  Chief)  himself  had  not  spoken,  but  he  now  appeared  and  advised  the  people   not   to   harm   Tcibisa,   since   everlasting   hostility   would   result.   Pottes   brought   forward   a   moose-­‐skin,   and   told   some   of   his   people   to   hold   it   spread   so   that,   when   Tcibisa   leapt   from   his   canoe,   he   would   land   upon   it   and   could   be   carried   to   the   house   without   putting   foot   to   the   ground.     Tcibisa   answered  proudly  that  there  was  nothing  on  earth  strong  enough  to  support  him,  since  his  many   potlatches  had  made  him  incomparably  heavy.    Nonetheless,  he  accepted  the  honor,  as  assistance   to  landing  shown  only  to  mighty  chiefs  and  was  carried  into  the  house  where  he  was  seated  in  the   far   right-­‐hand   corner,   an   honorable   location.   Though   Pottes   had   decided   against   the   immediate   killing  of  the  Kitkatla,  he  had  concocted  a  scheme  to  test  their  bravery  and  the  sincerity  of  their   desires   for   peace.   No   one   knew   of   this   except   his   nephew   Ne:xwinkai,   who   was   to   carry   it   out.     When  all  were  seated,  the  latter  appeared,  his  face  smeared  with  ashes,  and  his  hair  tied  up  in  a   top-­‐knot   with   weasel   skins   as   a   customary   during   war.     Ne:xwinkai   moved   sun   wise   around   the   house,  brandishing  a  musket  and  repeatedly  pointing  it  at  Tcibisa  in  a  threatening  manner.    If  the   Kitkatla   had   shown   nervousness,   particularly   if   one   of   them   had   fired   his   own   musket,   a   massacre   would   have   resulted.     But   they   remained   unmoved,   confident   in   the   prestige   of   their   leader,   while   he   knew   that   though   his   body   might   be   killed,   his   reputation   would   only   be   increased   by   the   manner   of   his   death.     At   length   Ne:xwinkai   fired   into   the   air:   not   until   a   shower   of   eagle   down   was   blown  forth  did  anyone  realize  that  his  musket  had  been  loaded  with  nothing  more  deadly.  This   marked  the  establishment  of  friendly  relations.”12     This   courageous   performance   was   not   only   a   cunning   display   of   mastery   of   blending   technologies   of  the  time,  but  also  in  trickster  fashion,  an  instantly  recognized  ceremonial  honoring.  This  is  an   example   of   the   hybridization   or   weaving   together   that   which   is   ceremonial   with   that   which   is   modern  I  aspire  to  in  my  current  practice.       A  Matter  of  Bladder:  Stomach  Cutting  and  grizzly  bears                                                                                                                   12  McIlwraith,  T.F.    Vol  II,  p357  “The  Bella  Coola  Indians”  University  of  Toronto  Press:  Toronto,  1948.  Print.         28     My,   arguably   morbid,   curiosity   has   uncovered   what   is   known   in   the   FX   industry   as   a   bladder   system   or   blood   gag.     In   simple   terms,   a   bladder   system   is   a   bag   with   a   tube   connecting   to   the   opening  on  the  performers  body,  mask  or  costume.       The   Stomach   cutting   dance   is   a   perfect   example   of   the   marvelous   devices   in   the   illusionistic   space   that  delivers  elaborate  shocks  that  Klein  spoke  of  when  talking  about  special  effects.         Fig.  8     I  call  upon  McIlwraith  to  recite  a  personal  account  from  The  Bella  Coola  Indians  from  a  15-­‐year-­‐old   Nuxalk  boy.     “He  was  sitting  with  ten  or  twelve  lads  of  his  own  age,  each  of  who  was  asked  by  a  marshal:  “Are   you  brave?”  Not  one  of  them  was  willing  to  display  his  courage,  even  after  repeated  questionings.   At   this   impasse   the   lad’s   uncle,   a   prominent   Kusiut,   requested   that   his   nephew   be   asked:   so   the   question  was  put  to  him.    He  answered  in  the  affirmative  as  his  uncle  had  advised  him  to  do.    To     29   further   question:   “Are   you   willing   to   do   what   this   man   [the   performer]   may   demand?”   he   also   answered:  “Yes”  without  knowing  what  he  might  be  called  upon  to  do.”13       The   frightened   boy   was   asked   to   examine   a   knife,   which   was   made   from   copper   or   obsidian   in   those  days,  to  verify  that  it  was  in  fact  a  real  knife.         “X  (assistant  Kusiut  dancer)  showed  him  where  to  insert  it,  under  the  left  bottom  rib,  and  told  him   to  draw  it  firmly  across  to  the  corresponding  point  on  the  other  side.  The  boy  did  so;  that  victim   cried  out  as  if  in  pain,  his  hands  shook,  and  when  the  entrails  fell  out,  he  dropped  back  dead.  The   youth,  believing  that  he  had  killed  the  man,  was  terrified…  as  soon  as  X  has  fallen,  pandemonium   breaks  out  in  the  house.    The  Kusiut  women  weep  and  wail,  whistles  sound  at  intervals,  and  the   effect  is  like  bedlam.”14       As   I   have   stated,   the   stomach-­‐cutting   dance   is   the   perfect   example   of   the   deliverance   of   a   visual   surprise   that   in   turn   reinforces   the   terrifying   respect   the   non-­‐Kusiut   members   of   the   audience   held  toward  the  Kusiut  society.     In   my   re-­‐search,   I   have   uncovered   the   traditional   special   effects   of   this   performance.     The   blade   used  was  in  fact  a  very  real  knife.  A  real  knife  would  have  been  required  to  cut  through  the  tough   deer   or   dog   hide.     A   wooden   board   or   copper   armor   was   created   to   protect   the   performers   stomach   from   the   sharp   blade.     The   entrails   of   the   animals   slaughtered   used   to   represent   the   entrails   of   the   dancer   being   cut   and   were   concealed   between   the   armor   and   the   hide.     The   cutting,   screaming   and   spilling   of   the   entrails   would   have   appeared   so   genuine   that   the   reality   effect   created  by  the  traditional  special  effects  of  this  bladder  system  would  have  been  a  spine  tingling   spectacle.       This   spectacular   visual   adventure   showcased   the   marvelous   power   of   the   Kusiut   society   and   proved  it  was  larger  than  life,  larger  than  any  human  alone  can  ever  hope  to  be  and,  in  my  opinion,   mirrors  Klein’s  description  of  the  purpose  of  special  effects.                                                                                                                     13  McIlwraith,  T.F.    Vol  II,  p136  “The  Bella  Coola  Indians”  University  of  Toronto  Press:  Toronto,  1948.  Print.       14  McIlwraith,  T.F.    Vol  II,  p136  “The  Bella  Coola  Indians”  University  of  Toronto  Press:  Toronto,  1948.  Print.         30   The  Bear  Dance       Fig.  9     I  call  upon  Harlan  I.  Smith  to  share  information  told  to  him:     SON  OF  WILLIE  MACK  IN  COSTUME   “The  belief  is  that  a  bear  spirit  enters  the  performer,  impelling  him  to  eat  human  flesh.    At  a  certain   stage  of  the  ceremonial  this  bear  spirit  becomes  visible  as  a  bear’s  head.    The  bear’s  head  is  shown   in   the   photograph.   Hidden   assistants   caused   the   bear’s   head   to   vomit   blood   and   pieces   of   meat.     These   are   considered   to   be   the   portions   of   human   flesh,   which   the   performer   has   eaten.     The   performer   assists   the   bear’s   head   to   vomit   these   forth   by   bending   down   and   clutching   with   his   teeth  the  flesh  as  it  is  being  vomited  forth.  Date  June  25,  1922.”15       An  audience  circa  1800  witnessing  a  bear  mask  vomiting  what  was  convincingly  real  human  blood   and  pieces  of  real  human  flesh  would  have  no  doubt  had  a  horrifyingly  emotional  reaction.    From  a   technical   point   of   view,   I   am   interested   in   creating   contemporary   works   of   art   that   reflect   these   hidden  traditional  mechanical  engineering.    Taking  this  modern  special  effects  lens,  I  am  able  to                                                                                                                   15  Tepper,  Leslie  p.  125  “The  Bella  Coola  Valley:  Harlan  I.  Smith’s  Fieldwork  Photography,  1920  –  1924”  Quebec,  1991.   Print.         31   deduce   that   a   flexible   container   is   required   to   hold   the   liquid   blood   with   tubes   wide   enough   to   pass  chunks  of  meat  from  the  flexible  container  to  an  opening  on  the  mask  or  costume.     Switching  from  a  modern  special  effects  lens  to  a  traditional  Nuxalk  lens,  I  consider  the  materials   available   to   make   flexible   containers.   I   know   from   20   years   of   experience   as   a   wool   and   cedar   weaver  that  baskets  are  made  from  the  roots  or  the  bark  of  cedar  trees  and  spruce  trees.    These   may   be   woven   water   tight   using   the   spruce   roots,   however   these   style   of   baskets   are   extremely   rigid  and  would  not  be  suitable  for  this  traditional  special  effect.    A  bentwood  box  can  be  created   to  water  tight,  but  would  not  be  flexible  enough  to  thrust  forth-­‐bloody  liquid  filled  with  pieces  of   meat.         Another   possibility   would   be   the   skin   of   an   animal.     All   parts   of   animals   that   were   hunted   and   killed   were   used   to   make   clothing,   jewelry,   drums,   rattles,   and   headdresses   and   it   is   quite   conceivable  that  animal  parts  could  be  used  to  create  a  bladder  system.  This  bladder  system  could   be  made  from  the  hide  and/or  internal  organs,  which  could  be  fitted  with  a  harness  or  necklace   apparatus  to  be  worn  by  the  performer.    The  intestines  would  have  made  perfect  tubing  system  to   transport  liquids  from  bladder  bag  to  thrust  the  bloody  pieces  of  meat  out  opening.     This   traditional   special   effect   not   only   possesses   the   cultural   value   the   excavation   of   this   discontinued  apparatus,  but  it  may  cultivate  an  enriched  breeding  ground  for  experimental  mask   making  and  innovative  regalia  concepts.       Chapter  Three:  Traditional  Special  Effects  in  ACTION   Transmutations:  Foam  latex  mask       I   will   now   move   more   fully   into   the   new   works   of   art   that   I   created   during   the   time   I   spent   re-­‐ searching   traditional   special   effects   in   Nuxalk   potlatch   performances.     You   will   see   moments   of   hybridization–traditional   ceremonial   objects   woven   in   with   modern   materials   or   current   technologies  to  create  a  new  visual  language  to  share  my  story.    I  would  further  suggest  that  these   new  works  are  reflective  of  my  relational  ontology  with,  my  lineage,  the  land  I  am  from,  and  the     32   uncanny   spiritual   coincidences   that   occurred   along   this   journey.   The   intertwining   of   these   connections  is  an  undercurrent  that  propels  each  new  work  forward.     The  Echo  Mask  was  the  source  of  inspiration  for  my  foam  latex  facial  prosthetic.  This  foam  latex   facial  prosthetic  mask  incorporates  a  Nuxalk  form  line  aesthetic  tradition  with  modern  sculpting   techniques,  mold-­‐making  capability  and  airbrush  painting  dexterity.       The  traditional  special  effect  underpinning  the  Echo  Mask  is  simply  facial  expressions.    The  artist   would   have   carved   the   primary   mask   to   accommodate   the   six   interchangeable   mouthpieces   and   the   mouthpieces   would   have   been   carved   to   fit   into   the   primary   mask   in   a   sliding   dovetail   joint   fashion.     During  my  first  year,  I  enrolled  in  a  special  effects  makeup  school  in  Vancouver  and  learned  clay   sculpting,  mold  making,  life  casting,  foam  latex  mixing  skills,  foam  latex  curing  techniques,  facial   prosthetic  application,  special  effect  airbrushing  make  up  application  and  removal  techniques  to   create  a  custom  designed  foam  latex  facial  prosthetic.                     Fig.  10                      Fig.  11                                          Fig.  12           Foam  latex  facial  prosthetics  is  a  disguise  made  to  cover  either  the  entire  head  or  the  face  of  the   actor.  Foam  latex  masks  have  their  origin  in  theatre  and  have  evolved  to  film  and  television.    These   facial   prosthetics   are   capable   of   portraying   various   aspects   of   creatures   including   monsters,     33   zombies,   animals,   skulls,   and   other   human   beings.   Northwest   Coast   peoples   have   practiced   animism,  a  worldview  of  non-­‐human  entities:  animals,  plants  and  inanimate  objects  possessing  a   spirit  and  existing  alongside  the  human  realm.  I  felt  that  the  history  of  foam  latex  facial  prosthetics   in  this  metaphysical  context  could  provide  a  seamless  transition  to  new  masks.     A  traditional  Nuxalk  mask  is  typically  carved  from  red  cedar,  yellow  cedar,  alder,  silver  birch  and   yew   woods.   They   were   carved   with   hand   made   tools   and   painted   with   handmade   brushes   and   pigments  made  from  local  minerals  and  binders.    They  were  adorned  with  a  variety  of  materials   depending  on  the  mask,  some  adornments  include;  feathers,  shells,  cedar  bark,  hair,  fur,  leather  or   hides.           Fig.  13     The   foam   latex   facial   prosthetic   was   part   of   a   larger   project.   This   project   included   collaboration   with   Lyle   Mack   a   Nuxalk   painter   and   carver.     Lyle   Mack   carved   a   wooden   transformation   mask   that  would  be  worn  on  top  of  the  performer  wearing  the  foam  latex  facial  prosthetic  as  shown  in   figure  13  and  figure  15.       34      Fig.  14               Fig.  15     He  carved  a  wooden  portrait  mask  in  the  Nuxalk  style  and  painted  in  colors  associated  with  the   sun   in   celebration   of   this   lavish   life   force.   The   masculine   energy   of   the   sun   mask   will   soon   acquiesce,  when  the  mask  opens,  to  the  female  energy  of  the  interior  moon  mask  and  complete  the   gentle  ebb  and  flow  of  the  infinite  transformation  cycle.     The   interior   mask   is   foam   latex   facial   prosthetic,   which   is   the   fruit   of   seven   months   of   accelerated   erudition   into   unfamiliar   territory   for   my   art   practice.   This   facial   prosthetic   is   sculpted   with   mindful   and   intentional   hands,   always   honoring   my   work   with   smudge   prayer   and   sweat   lodge   ceremonies.     The   celestial   color   choice   for   the   facial   prosthetic   is   a   reflection   of   the   spirit   of   the   moon  invoking  the  energies  of  the  night.     Through   my   art   practice   and   lived   experience   I   was   able   to   consider   my   assigned   gender   role   and   express  this  within  the  art  objects  I  created.    The  trans-­‐formation  mask  collaborative  project  and   trans-­‐formation   button   blanket   spoke   to   an   intertwined   discourse   of   gender   diversity   or   gender   fluidity   within   contemporary   ceremony.   I   had   the   privilege   to   witness   and   participate   in   an   unofficial   cleansing   rite   of   ceremonial   gender   roles   within   my   Nation.   New   allowances   for   ceremonial  gender  roles  are  being  formed.       During  a  youth  potlatch  performance  for  Adam  Beach  in  2014,  I  had  the  rare  opportunity  to   witness  young  female  dancers  practice  and  perform  our  highest  mask  dances,  The  Thunder   Dance  and  The  Hao  Hao  Dance.    The  extraordinary  series  of  events  that  lead  to  this  chance   spectacle   came   about   by   the   unwillingness   of   the   young   boys   to   perform   mask   dances   for     35   this   particular   potlatch.     The   young   girls   eagerly   stepped   forward   to   volunteer   their   services   and   were   met   with   hesitation,   but   not   refusal.     The   dance   instructor   paused   and   did   not   give   a   yes   or   no   answer,   but   instead   sought   counsel   by   the   eldest   female   elder   in   the   Nuxalk   Nation.    Her  name  is  Ama  and  she  was  in  the  hospital  at  the  time.  He  went  to  her  bedside  and   share  the  circumstance  with  her  and  asked  for  guidance.  She  gave  him  permission  to  instruct   the  young  girls  on  the  choreography  of  both  The  Thunder  dance  and  The  Hao  Hao  dances.         I  witnessed  them  practice  and  understood  through  observation  that  these  dances  were  very   labor-­‐intensive  and  they  worked  very  hard  to  execute  each  movement  precisely.  During  the   public  performance  each  young  girl  performed  perfectly.    Their  performances  were  met  with   extreme  mixed  reviews.  Some  audience  members  were  outraged  at  the  direct  violation  of  the   ceremonial   observance   of   gender   roles   within   mask   dancing   and   loudly   proclaimed   their   disapproval   as   they   exited   the   hall.   Other   spectators   wept   with   joy   and   pride   at   the   impeccable   performances   of   their   loved   ones   and   stood   clapping   enthusiastically.   While   other  audience  members  sat  quietly  in  awe.       This  transcendental  juncture  in  the  current  events  of  the  Nuxalk  Nation  inspired  me  to  create  an   art  object  that  incorporated  this  event  with  my  re-­‐search  of  traditional  special  effects.       These   trans-­‐formation   art   works   served   as   a   visual   dialogue   with   possible   divergences   in   ceremonial   gender   roles   –   to   witness   a   female   dance,   something   I   longed   to   witness   since   childhood.     The   Thunder   and/or   The   Hao   Hao.     These   pieces   operate   as   a   cultural   critique   by   presenting   possibles   shifts   in   contemporary   ceremonial   gender   roles   of   mask   dancing,   performance  and  attitudes  of  culturally  accepted  materiality  of  ceremonial  objects.       This   illuminates   a   mis-­‐remembered   of   historical   occurrence   of   females   dancing   behind   the   mask.   Ama,   the   elder   who   gave   permission   for   the   young   girls   to   dance   mask,   herself   danced   mask   as   a   young   women.     She   did   not   disclose   the   circumstances   that   surrounded   her   performance,   she   only   shared   that   she   had   danced   mask   when   she   was   young.   The   mis-­‐ remembering   of   cultural   practices   and   its   further   dissemination   from   generation   to   generation   alters   the   accepted   norms   of   this   particular   ceremony   with   regards   to   gender     36   participation.    It  is  through  the  subtle  presentation  of  female  form  within  a  masculine  mask   that  holds  space  for  this  issue  to  be  acknowledged.     Strings  &  Pulley’s:  Trans-­‐formation  button  blanket     The  Nuxalk  concept  of  a  puppet  performer  accompanying  the  main  cultural  character  parallels  the   western   puppet   type   known   as   the   hand   puppet,   most   commonly   seen   in   ventriloquism   performances.     The   traditional   special   effect   of   a   concealed   rigging   of   strings   and   pulleys   with   regalia  inspired  my  transformation  button  blanket.         A  button  blanket  is  a  flat  wool  blanket  worn  as  ceremonial  regalia  that  displays  ones  family  crest,   which   is   a   social   signifier   of   ancestral   lineage.     Pre-­‐contact   blankets   were   highly   valued   hand-­‐ woven   blankets   made   from   mountain   goat   fur   and   cedar   bark.     I   thought   about   the   strings   and   pulley’s   that   the   puppet   dancer   would   have   used   and   how   they   would   have   been   concealed   under   the   regalia   and   my   creative   thoughts   moved   to   the   blanket   as   a   puppet   –   an   inanimate   regalia   coming  to  life  and  being  activated  by  the  performer  wearing  the  garment.           This  was  my  creative  gesture  of  weaving  together  two  concepts  -­‐  the  traditional  special  effect  of   strings   and   pulley’s   and   a   post-­‐colonial   ceremonial   robe   together   into   one   piece   my   transformation  button  blanket,  which  I  described  and  discussed  in  the  coming  chapters,  but  first   more  on  strings  and  pulley’s.     The   strings   and   pulleys   of   the   transformation   masks   and   the   puppet-­‐patron   inspired   my   transformation  button  blanket.  A  button  blanket  that  transforms  from  a  primary  crest  to  internal   secondary  crest  and  is  the  first  of  its  kind  -­‐  to  my  knowledge.           37     Fig  16                 Fig.  17       The   trans-­‐formational   blanket   has   a   primary   exterior   design   and   when   the   performer   pulls   on   the   concealed  cables  the  blanket  opens  French  door  style  to  reveal  a  secondary  design.  I  am  interested   in  the  energy  of  psychologically  identifying  with  the  motives,  intention  and  artistic  process  of  the   original  Kusiut  artists  who  invented  and  produced  the  traditional  special  effects  that  I  am  chasing.     I  repurposed  the  technology  of  strings  and  pulley’s  and  applied  them  to  a  button  blanket  as  shown   below.     This   is   an   image   of   the   inside   view   of   the   transformation   button   blanket.     This   view   shows   the  strings  and  pulleys  on  both  the  left  and  right  side  of  the  inside  of  the  Transformation  Button   Blanket.    One  set  of  strings  with  handles  pulls  the  primary  crest  open  to  reveal  the  secondary  crest   and  the  other  set  of  strings  with  handles  pulls  the  blanket  closed.      This  mimics  the  ebb  and  flow  of   the  crests  –  sun  to  moon  and  back  again.       Fig.  18     38   Fire  &  Lights:  Fiber  optic  headdress     The  fire-­‐rattle  was  the  initial  spark  that  mobilized  the  concept  of  fiber  optic  lighting  system  as  a   form   of   modern   special   effects   that   could   be   synthesized   with   Northwest   Coast   weaving   morphology.       I   resolved   to   pursue   an   apprentice   style   internship   with   Tsimshian   weaver   William   White   and   Tsimshian   carver   Melissa   Meyer   to   advance   my   weaving   skills   and   knowledge   base.     I   constructed   a   Nuxalk   style   loom,   participate   in   a   thigh   spinning   workshops   and   visited   Nuxalk   woven   blankets   housed   at   the   Museum   of   Anthropology   and   Royal   British   Columbia   Museum.     There   were   unforeseen   complications   with   working   under   the   mentorship   of   Mr.   White   and   quickly   shifted   to   a  self-­‐directed  study.     This  is  a  sacred  ritual  I  perform  before  each  project  and  I  don’t  speak  about  this  lightly  or  share   this  aspect  of  my  art  practice  often.    This  is  a  private  observance  with  an  informal  approach  that   may  or  may  not  include  a  smudging  ceremony,  putting  tobacco  down,  or  offering  a  food  burning   custom.    In  some  cases  it  may  simply  consist  of  taking  a  few  deep  breathes  with  my  eyes  closed   and  whispering  a  prayer.    Since  I  was  a  small  child,  I  experience  very  vivid  dreamtime  journeying   and  I  honor  and  respect  this  as  part  of  my  non-­‐linear  internal  spiritual  space.      One  of  the  blankets   I  was  re-­‐searching  was  my  great  grandmothers  aunt,  Elizabeth  Mack.    When  my  mentorship  was   crumbling  and  I  was  getting  anxious,  she  came  to  me  in  a  dream.     I  had  a  vivid  dream  of  my  great  grandmother’s  aunt  Elizabeth  Mack.    She  spoke  about  a  photo   of  her  in  a  robe  that  is  housed  at  the  Museum  of  Anthropology.  She  said  she  didn’t  remember   anything   remarkable   about   the   day   that   photo   was   taken   and   that   I   shouldn’t   pay   to   much   attention  to  the  blanket  itself  or  the  photo  of  her  in  the  robe.  What  is  important  to  remember,   she  said,  is  that  the  blanket  is  an  expression  of  love  and  what  is  possible.    (The  dream  took  place   at  my  auntie  Penny’s  home.  And  in  it,  there  was  a  woman  from  the  spirit  world  named  “Eight-­‐ o’clock  Rain”  who  was  there  to  record  the  Elizabeth’s  visit).         I   returned   to   my   self-­‐directed   study   with   new   vigor   and   examined   the   materiality   of   the   project   and  examined  the  width,  length,  and  physical  characteristics  of  the  material  I  was  using,  wool.    I     39   shifted  thought  threads  and  considered  what  material  in  the  genre  of  special  effects  could  mimic   wool   and   I   deduced   that   a   fiber   optic   wire   would   visually   appear   equal   in   width,   length,   and   movement  as  wool.       I  determined  this  would  be  a  dramatic  and  intriguing  combination,  and  I  was  correct.  Through  this   particular  process,  I  had  to  learn  the  cultural  art  form  of  Nuxalk  weaving,  which  has  not  been  in   continuous   practiced   for   92+   years,   and   I   had   to   learn   a   specialized   technical   system   of   fiber   optic   lighting.  I  had  to  then  devise  a  way  in  which  these  two  separate  elements  could  coexist  in  one  art   object.     This  headdress  is  connected  to  a  basic  control  switch  that  has  three  settings  a)  on  b)  blink  c)  blink   random.     For   a   performance   the   fiber   optic   headdress   will   be   connected   to   a   sound   activated   control  switch  to  blink  in  time  with  the  drumbeat  of  the  song.         Fig.  19               Fig.  20     The   intention   behind   this   piece   is   to   try   to   utilize   modern   materials   to   recapture   some   of   the   intense   feeling   of   amazement   with   the   fire   rattles.     I   envision   multiple   dancers   wearing   fiber   optic   headdresses  and  crests  on  the  button  blankets  fitted  with  fiber  optic  lighting  to  match  that  of  the   headdress.   What   a   spectacle   this   would   be!     It   is   my   hope   that   my   re-­‐search   and   works   of   art   may   carve  out  a  new  path  for  First  Nation  performing  arts.     40   A  Matter  of  Bladder:  Purging  medicine  woman  mask     The   Bear   Dance   and   the   Stomach-­‐Cutting   Dance   figuratively   ripped   open   the   limitation   of   my   preconceived   notions   of   what   potlatch   performances   had   been   and   left   me   with   my   own   imagined   assumptions  and  excited  guesses.         I  have  not  yet  witnessed  stomach  cutting  dances  with  the  performer  is  being  cut  open  spilling  guts   and  blood.  I  have  not  yet  witnessed  dances  that  showed  the  dancers  heads  being  cut  off.  I  have  not   see  with  my  own  eyes  dances  included  dancers  being  drowned  on  the  dance  floor.    I  have  not  seen   performance  of  a  dancers  being  burned  alive  during  a  performance.  I  have  not  witnessed  a  dance   that   included   an   elaborate   manifestation   of   Mother   Earth   giving   birth   to   willow,   gooseberry,   nettle,   grass,   skunk   cabbage,   and   other   plants   and   trees.     This   wondrous   state   of   silent   contemplation  held  space  for  me  to  have  courage  to  expand,  experiment  and  create  a  glass  mask   that  possessed  the  ability  to  cry  and  vomit  (purge).     Ceremonial   purging   is   to   rid   the   person’s   physical   body   of   toxins   and   to   expel   any   unwanted   negative  energy  or  evil  spirits.    There  are  five  ways  a  person  can  purge  –  to  cry,  to  vomit,  to  sweat,   to  urinate  and  to  defecate.    For  my  graduation  piece  created  a  purging  medicine  woman  mask.                   Fig.  21                 Fig.  22     Three  works  come  together  in  an  installation.       41   The   button   blanket   is   made   from   Milton   wool   material,   a   sheet   of   transparent   vinyl   and   mother   of   pearl   buttons.     This   transparent   button   blanket   and   apron   set   was   created   as   a   visual   representation   of   what   we   conceal   and   what   we   reveal   about   our   erotic   self   under   our   cultural   protocols?”       The   headdress   is   hand   woven   in   the   Nuxalk   style   with   thigh-­‐spun   wool   and   otter   fur.     Incorporated   into   the   weft   weave   are   fiber   optic   light   strands.     These   light   strands   are   battery   operated.       The  glass  mask  is  the  result  of  two  years  of  studio  research  into  conventional  FX  techniques  and   materials.    The  transparency  of  the  mask  is  a  didactic  gesture  towards  unearthing  a  secret  practice   within  my  ancestral  ceremonial  performance  history.    I  chose  glass  medium  as  a  way  to  visually   express  in  the  work  itself  a  looking  through  to  understand  what  is  behind.    This  is  an  echo  from   my   transparent   button   blanket,   which   exposes   the   human   form   underneath.     I   sculpted   the   masks   with  tear  channels  down  the  cheeks  so  that  when  the  bladder  system  was  activated  the  tears  had  a   path   to   follow.     I   employed   modern   mold   making   techniques   to   create   a   lost   wax   casting,   the   basis   for  the  transparent  glass  mask.     The  clear  harness  was  a  nod  at  the  performer  and  acknowledges  that  these  pieces  were  created  to   withstand  the  rigors  of  a  performance.    The  clear  vinyl  bladder  system  is  my  interpretation  of  how   traditional  bladder  systems  could  have  been  fashioned  based  on  my  research  into  stage  and  film   FX  techniques.     This   installation   was   the   culmination   of   my   first   summer   intensive   study,   my   second   year   study   and  my  third  year  of  re-­‐search.    All  three  pieces  join  together  into  a  full  regalia  for,  The  Purging   Medicine  Woman.         Conclusion     When   I   spoke   about   transformation   being   an   integral   part   of   myth   sharing   and   the   understanding   of  the  veil  between  our  material  world  and  that  of  the  spirit  realm,  I  had  no  way  of  foreseeing  that   this  would  also  be  true  of  a  personal  transformation  in  my  life.    My  physical  self,  emotional  self,     42   intellectual  self,  domestic  self,  creative  self  and  spiritual  self  have  all  experiences  a  transformation   through   this   journey.     Through   looking   back,   pushing   forward   and   sitting   still   I   have   gathered   knowledge  of  my  lineage,  my  culture,  and  my  way  of  making  that  has  altered  my  being  in  profound   and   unseen   ways.     As   I   bring   this   portion   of   my   journey   to   a   close,   I   am   overwhelmed   with   gratitude.         It  is  in  a  sacred  way  that  I  move  to  greet  my  collective  cultural  past  while  advancing  forward  to   visually  articulate  myself.    Once  I  have  grounded  myself  in  this  manner  I  am  able  to  reflect  on  the   context  of  my  practice.    Similar  to  the  willow  branches  that  form  the  sweat  lodges  structure,  there   are  a  number  of  concepts  that  blanket  current  First  Nations  art  making.    Post-­‐colonial  theory  has   been   debated   and   discussed   for   decades   and   one   might   argue   is   picking   up   momentum.   These   concepts   were   thick   and   slow   to   process   for   me.   I   meandered   between   the   concept   of   decolonization   and   utopia   with   a   firestorm   of   inquiries   asking,     ‘Is   decolonization   possible?’   and   if   it  is,    ‘What  does  that  look  like?’     It   is   through   reading   Bagele   Chilisa16  that   I   have   come   to   understand   decolonization   in   simple   terms.    Chilisa  states,  “It  involves  the  restoration  and  development  of  cultural  practices,  thinking   patterns,   beliefs   and   values   that   were   suppressed   but   are   still   relevant   and   necessary   to   the   survival   and   birth   of   new   ideas,   thinking,   techniques,   and   lifestyles   that   contribute   to   the   advancement   and   empowerment   of   the   historically   oppressed   and   former   colonized   non-­‐Western   societies”.     For   me,   decolonization   is   not   about   attempting   to   resuscitate   in   the   era   of   my   great   grandmothers   and   great   grandfathers   or   laying   blame   on   settler   peoples.     It   is   about   allowing   my   fore-­‐parents   to   remain   wholly   intact   within   me   with   all   their   creative   genius,   personality   quirks   and   cultural   precepts   while   granting   myself   permission   to   learn,   practice,   question,   experiment,   fail,   succeed   and  ultimately  have  a  clear,  strong,  feminine  voice  within  my  work.     I  had  described  my  practice  as  balancing  delicately  between  the  traditional  and  contemporary,  but   now  I  understand  that  tradition  art  practices  are  always  participating  in  a  memory  culture.  I  am   inextricably  situated  in  the  present  participating  in  a  culture  that  is  evolving,  that  evolving  and  in                                                                                                                   16  Chilisa,  Bagele  p.  14  “Indigenous  Research  Methodologies”  (Smith,  1999,  2008)  Los  Angeles:  Sage,  2012.  Print.     43   flux.  I  feel  an  imperceptible  connection  with  remembered,  mis-­‐remembered  and  re-­‐remembered   sense  of  the  communal.    Those  connections  pull  on  my  thoughts  like  a  deja  vu  or  waking  dream.   My  attempts  at  reclamation  have  been  a  painful  process  but  a  crucial  one.       As  a  female  artist,  working  through  an  indigenous  re-­‐search  paradigm  it  is  inevitable  to  encounter   indigenous  feminist  theory.    For  me,  this  occurred  as  a  young  girl  asking  my  aunt  when  I  would  be   able  to  dance  a  mask  and  not  getting  a  clear  answer.    It  wasn’t  until  decades  later  that  I  absorbed   what   this   line   of   questioning   reflected   about   my   culture   and   my   place   within   it.     Women   have   a   respected  place  within  First  Nations  ceremonies  as  portals  of  all  life.    With  this  responsibility  come   specific   prerogatives   and   limited   privileges   and   it   also   comes   with   exclusion,   segregation   and   prohibition.     This   includes   our   duties   and   expectations   of   food   preparation,   where   we   may   sit   within  each  given  ceremony,  who  we  may  speak  to,  which  dances  we  may  participate  in,  when  and   if  we  may  address  the  gathering  and  how  we  dress  our  physical  bodies.    I  observed  the  nuances  of   gender   roles   in   ceremony   at   a   very   young   age   and   I   bring   threads   of   these   observations   to   my   works  today.       The   questions   that   arise   from   my   re-­‐search   and   the   art   objects   I   create   are   not   so   much   about   the   socio-­‐political  climate  that  halted  the  continuum  and  evolution  of  traditional  special  effects.    I  am   not   going   into   colonization,   post-­‐colonialism,   waves   of   epidemics,   residential   schools   system,   racist   federal   and   provincial   legislature,   addiction,   and   so   forth.     I   am   not   asking   why   this   practice   stopped   or   what   current   cultural   constraints   may   be   applying   pressure   to   its   development,   but   rather   I   am   excited   by   the   possibility   of   arousing   and   rekindling   the   art   of   traditional   special   effects  through  my  re-­‐search.  I  believe  that  my  re-­‐search  has  the  potential  to  challenge  culturally   conservative  customs  and  inspire  future  generations  to  reach  beyond  what  is  acceptable  and  add   to  the  evolution  of  our  cultural  nowness  and  innovation,  as  displayed  in  the  story  of  the  Kitkatla   War  Chief  dance.     This  re-­‐search  hints  at  a  new  relationship  between  reality  effects  in  Northwest  Coast  traditional   ceremonial   dances   and   new   modes   of   cultural   production.     That   could   enhance   cultural   visual   story  telling  in  contemporary  potlatches.    Special  effects  in  film  allow  directors  to  explore  socio-­‐ political  commentary  of  our  times  that  allow  audiences  a  window  into  the  visual  dialogue  through   the   reality   effect.   I   hope   that   my   re-­‐search   will   permit   the   same   venue   for   active   participation   in   a     44   cultural  critique  of  contemporary  First  Nations’  societies.    Innovations  of  performance  arts  help  to   update  humanistic  studies  and  assist  to  revise  classical  mythology  in  film,  television  and  theatre.   Through   the   combination   of   western   special   effects   and   Nuxalk   art   forms,   my   thesis   proposes   possibilities  for  both  genres.       Although,  I  have  experienced  some  wonderful  aha  moments  in  my  practice  and  re-­‐search,  I  have   also   been   confronted   with   questions   about   questions   of   display.     I   struggled   and   was   unsuccessful   at  resolving  the  question,  “If  these  are  performances  objects,  why  aren’t  they  being  performed?”     My  final  installation  is  a  collection  of  ceremonial  performance  objects  displayed  in  a  gallery  space.       I  was  mindful  of  the  cultural  protocol  regarding  masks,  songs,  regalia  and  I  am  not  in  a  position  to   throw  a  Potlatch  and  to  bring  out  a  new  mask,  song,  dance  and  regalia.    That  is  not  to  say  that  it   can’t  be  done.  Through  my  re-­‐search  of  the  Kusiut,  it  was  clear  that  not  all  Kusiut  members  were   performers;   to   use   stage   lingo   some   kusiut   were   the   back   stage   crew,   costume   designers,   set   designers  and  sound  crew  and  this  may  provide  direction  to  my  own  practice.         I  deliberately  work  within  an  indigenous  re-­‐search  paradigm  that  uses    holistic  protocols  when  re-­‐ searching   and   formulating   a   respectful   blueprint   for   an   art   object.   I   spoke   about   the   emotional   stages   I   go   through   to   deliver   a   new   work.   The   first   stage   is   inspiration,   building   excitement,   cultural  identity  euphoria,  cultural  responsibility  anxiety,  personal  doubt,  elder  and/or  collective   critique   panic,   personal   leap   of   faith,   creative   fortitude,   exhaustion,   gratification   and   then   finally   an   ebbing   of   energy   in   a   restorative   period.     Each   stage   is   relational   to   people,   to   land,   to   the   cosmos,   ideas   and   to   my   selves.     Each   stage   participates   in   a   memory   culture.     I   re-­‐search   into   ancestral   aesthetics,   collective   memories   and   my   personal   memory   timeline   in   the   present.     In   each  stage  partakes  in  ceremonial  rituals  or  makes  spiritual  offerings.         I  am  honored  to  have  taken  this  transformative  healing  journey!     All  my  relations…             45   Reference  list   Wilson,  Shawn.    Research    is  Ceremony:  Indigenous  Re-­‐search    Methods.    Halifax:  Fernwood   Publishing,  2008.  Print.     McIlwriath,  Thomas  Forsyth.    Bella  Coola  Indians.    Toronto:  University  of  Toronto  Press,  1948.   Print.     Coleridge,  Samuel  Taylor.  “Biograhia  Literaria,  Chapter  XIV  (1917).”  Poetry  Foundation,  October   13,  2009.  Website.  April  17th  2014.     Hill  and  Wang.  Roland  Barthes:  The  Rustle  of  Language  New  York,  1975.  Print.     Klein,  Norman.    The  Vatican  to  Vegas:  A  History  of  Special  Effects.    New  York:  The  New  Press,  2004.   Print.     Pacific  Northwest  Coast  College.    Bovee,  Katherine.  A  New  Stage:  Norman  Klein  on  the  Future  of   Scripted  Spaces.  Vimeo.com/17008887.  4  years  ago.  Website  accessed  April  15th  2015.       Tepper,  Leslie  H.    The  Bella  Coola  Valley:    Harlin  I.  Smith  Fieldwork  Photographs,  1920  –  1924.     Quebec,  1991.  Print.         Chilisa,  Bagele.    Indigenous  Re-­‐search  Methodologies.  Los  Angeles:  Sage,  2012.  Print.                 46