Hamat̕sa “The Cannibal Dance”

The Kwakwaka’wakw have two major sacred ceremonies known as the T̕seka “Winter Ceremonies” and the Tła’sala “Peace Dances”, originally called Dłuwalaxa “Returned from Heaven Ceremonies”.

The T̕seka is the most important and sacred of all Kwakwaka’wakw ceremonies. In our culture, the hosting family will invite guests from neighboring families and villages. They will come to witness the host family’s history. These family traditions are shared through ceremonies of songs, dances and history. We honor our guests by feasting them with food and gifts. The gifts are payment for our guests to remember our history and rights. This gift giving is where the Chinook word Potlatch came from, which means “to give”.

Every family has an origin story of how they descended from a first Ancestor. The first Ancestor survived the Great Flood. From these stories came many connections and encounters with supernatural beings, animals and other families. From these histories, families have gained the rights to show different ceremonies. These are the ceremonies that reenact the spirituality and gifts from these events. In our culture, we dance and sing to celebrate life.

At the center of the sacred Winter Ceremonies is the Hamats̕a “Cannibal Dance”. This ceremony is one of the highest ranking and most sacred. This dance comes from the spirit of Baxwbakwalanuksiwe’ “The Man-Eater from the North End of the World”. In ancient times, this supernatural being Baxwbakwalanuksiwe’ lived far in the mountains with his family. Baxwbakwalanuksiwe’ would fly down into nearby villages and capture people. He then carried them back to his home to eat them. Many people were killed by this feared being, very few saw it and lived. Occasionally, some fortunate Ancestors were able to encounter him, sometimes protected by spiritual gifts.

On rare occasions, Baxwbakwalanuksiwe’ was unable to harm certain people. For being discovered, he was then obligated to give them the rights to his ceremonies. In some legends, Baxwbakwalanuksiwe’ is killed. His songs, dances and names are then claimed after his death. From that time on, the spirit of Baxwbakwalanuksiwe’ has dwelled in our forests and mountains during the winter season. This is where families with the right, will send their initiates. From these powerful stories that took place in different territories, came the origins of this most sacred society called the Hamats̕a. Only those families with such histories or connections to Baxwbakwalanuksiwe’ are allowed to dance this ceremony.

Initiation into the Hamats̕a is about oneness and harmony with ones self. To become a member of this secret society is to be chosen by your family to be a leader and a protector of your people. We spiritually cleanse and are secluded to understand who we are as a person and what our role is in our family. We are bestowed with the highest of our spirituality to learn and understand harmony and balance within ourselves, and with everything in this great universe.

“We drive out the dreaded spirit of Baxwbakwalanuksiwe’ to prove to ourselves

that good will always overcome evil”.