The moon masks always appear as a pair, each differentiated by
the phase of the moon on top of the mask. The features of a moon
mask are often carved in such a way that the face appears
flatter than is typical of other masks, reduced in prominence to
suggest a face in the moon. The moon is responsible for
controlling the tides. This moon mask shows the halo constructed
from wood and is painted red. Dance and Regalia: When the moon
masks are shown during a potlatch, they enter the Big House
separately. Once they discover each other they try to get the
other to leave, as each believes they are the better phase of
the moon. They decide to settle the often-heated argument by
dancing and the audience decides which one is the better moon.
The winner continues to dance while the loser sulks away,
gesturing angrily as he goes. Although the dance is quite
humorous it is a high-ranking privilege. The mask was
surrendered in 1922 by Sam Charlie of the Mama la. It was sent
to the Canadian Museum of Civilization and was r