Jim Charlie
Karver Everson
from the website:
There are different rankings of ancestor masks, which can be claimed by different family lines. At a memorial potlatch the Ancestor mask is shown. It is believed that the spirit of the ancestral being is present to witness and validate the transfer of all the deceased’s privileges to the designated inheritor. When the Ancestor mask enters in to the Bighouse, the attendants would spread mountain coat pelts on the floor for the Ancestor to walk on. The spirit of the first ancestor, as well as that of the recently deceased are called into the Big House to approve the transfer of privileges. The dancer travels in a counter-clockwise motion around the room in a slow, dignified manner.
