Puppetry: Native American and African Traditions

by Sara Cogswell, Curator of "About Face: The World of Puppets and Masks"

Blaine Tallchief is a member of the Seneca Nation, one of the six nations of the Iroquois. The roughly 7,800 citizens of the Seneca Nation live or work on five reservations in New York. Tallchief grew up on the Cattaraugus Reservation and in 2002, moved to the nearby Seneca community in Salamenca. That community is centered around the FaithKeepers School; a non-profit, grassroots organization which provides a traditional education following the language, customs, and ceremonies of the Iroquoian Longhouse and culture of the Allegany Seneca People. Tallchief is both a student and an instructor at FaithKeepers.

Each Seneca community has a Longhouse, open only to members of the community, which is where the traditional ceremonies and rituals are practiced. When he was about 11, Tallchief began going to the Longhouse and learning these sacred ceremonies from the elders of the community.

Curing sickness is the special purpose of the Iroquois False Face Society, which takes its name from the painted wooden masks that members wear in curing rituals. In these ceremonies, members dance to the sound of rattles made of snapping-turtle shells, and there are offerings of prayers and the burning of tobacco. To become a member of the Society, a person has to have had a special dream or been cured of illness by the False Faces.

False Faces are carved by artisan carvers in the trunks of living trees in order to capture the tree’s spirit in the masks. Once cut away from the tree, the masks are painted red or black, and hair-like fiber is attached to them. They are not to be seen outside of the Longhouse and the sacred ceremony and are treated with great respect. If hung on a wall, a mask should always be covered or it may bring death. When not in use, it may also be kept carefully stored away, face down, wrapped in clean white cloths. If it is not given regular offerings of tobacco, it is thought to bring bad luck; and if sold, it may come back to haunt its former owner.

Consequently, Tallchief will not be bringing his own personal ceremonial mask. He will demonstrate carving a mask out of a tree trunk, and will share information and stories of the False Face Society and traditions of the Seneca people. Photos of some masks will be on display so that festivalgoers will have a visual understanding of the masks.


The vast African continent is home to many different peoples, each with its own way of life and language, and so there are a great variety of African masks. The designs and materials reflect the regions from which they come. The use of natural materials – cowrie shells, wood, raffia, animal skins, and barkcloth – is part of the African masking tradition, and the woodcarving is extremely skillful. It has been said that masks were as important to Africa as cathedrals were to Europe. Mask makers have always been important to African society, and all African masks, however simple, are an important part of African life and are treated with great respect.

A versatile artist in many media, Willis “Bing” Davis will display his masks at the Material Culture exhibition, and will speak about his work and the influences and inspirations from which he draws. Davis develops his masks working with a wide assortment of materials, both natural and manufactured – clay, metal, plastic, textiles, raffia, shells, threads, buttons, surplus “government issue” canvas bags, welders masks, discarded elements of the electronic industry and diverse found objects. Most noticeably in his masks, Davis blends the African and Native American aesthetic sensibilities, designs and motifs, many times infused with a current political or social commentary.

Artist, educator, and activist Davis has been a fixture on the Dayton area arts scene for nearly 50 years. Davis was on the faculty at Central State University for 20 years, has served as a visiting scholar at the University of Dayton, and as an artist-in-residence at Wright State. He has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including Ohio Art Educator of the Year in 1997 and the Ohio Governor’s Award for the Arts in 2009. Davis Art Studio and EbonNia Gallery are a delight to visit in Dayton’s Wright-Dunbar Business District.