Native American masks were an important part of the Native American culture. They were used during ceremonies, given as gifts, and each one was hand crafted. Native American masks were usually created in the likeness of an animal. These animals represented certain Native American ideas such as spirits, status and characteristics. In addition to creating Native American masks with animal characteristics, they also created portrait masks. These masks were modelled after a certain person. Some Native Americans believed that each clan was descended from a different animal. This meant that some Native American masks related to the clan the Indians were from.
