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Harpooned Seal Shaman and Avataq Spirit
Harpooned Seal Shaman and Avataq Spirit
This sculpture represents a shaman in séance, which would take place in the evening with the whole camp in attendance. The shaman would sing in a secret language to evoke the spirits and would imitate the sounds and movements of animal spirits. The shaman might also recreate the death and resurrection experience of his initiation by spearing himself, as can be seen in this carving of a seal shaman.
