5. Raven and his cousin Loon were in a
Qasgiq in the bottom of the ocean.
They decided to paint each other.
Raven and Loon agreed that they
were not to laugh when their necks
were painted so as not to spoil the
painting.
6. Raven painted the loon's stomach with
white-colored clay and the loon's
head, neck and back with soot from
the fire pit. The loon's back was
dotted with white colored clay. The
loon did as agreed and did not laugh
when his neck was being painted
although he was ticklish and wanted
to laugh.
7. When the loon's new color was done, it was Raven’s turn to be
painted. Raven’s stomach was painted black and the loon
proceeded to paint the Raven’s back and neck with the white
colored clay. Raven, being the mischievous rascal trickster he
sometimes is, began to giggle disrupting the careful painting
being done by the loon. Loon got distracted and was disturbed by
the laughing Raven . In anger, the loon repainted Raven back
black making him completely dark.
8. The loon ran away towards the
underground entrance. Raven realized that
he was completely black and grabbed
some fire wood ash. He threw it at the
running loon.
To this day, the loon has a gray spot on the
back of its head.
9. Notes:
Slide 1: Central Yup'ik Eskimo Raven Mask of Doolagiak Carved and painted wood raven
mask. The name of the Mask is "Doolagiak" and represents the trickster - raven.;
Medium/Materials: Wood, sandhill crane feathers, red, black and white pigment;
Marks: Under beak, typewritten on circular label: "467"; on reverse, in black ink:
"9/3433" "46"; in pencil: "1911/Dooloogoak/(Raven)/20/Buil“
http://www.fenimoreartmuseum.org/files/fenimore/collections/thaw/exhibit1/e10233b.htm
Slide 2: Model of Qasgiq and photograph of exterior -
http://www.yupikscience.org/2qasgi/2-1a.html
Photo of interior - http://funtongue.tripod.com/alaska/anchorage_08.html
Slide 3: source- http://ofthewing.blogspot.com/2009/12/raven-on-wednesday.html
Slide 4: Internet Bird Collection - http://ibc.lynxeds.com/photo/great-northern-diver-gavia-
immer/hunting-near-shore
Slide 5: Yup’ik folktale adapted from
http://archserve.id.ucsb.edu/courses/rs/natlink/old_natlink/NATraditions/Yup%27ik/H
TML/4Creation.html
Loon Mask from The Living Tradition of Yup'ik Masks: Agayuliyararput (Our Way of
Making Prayer) by Ann Fienup-Riordan Page 246
