Hamatsa (dance)
The Hamatsa, or Cannibal Dance, is a significant ceremonial performance of the Kwakiutl people in British Columbia, Canada. This dance serves as a rite of passage for novice shamans and spiritual leaders, facilitating their induction into the Hamatsa Society, which bestows them with higher status as community healers. The dance is designed to evoke feelings of fear and awe in its audience, featuring a central figure known as the Hamatsa who embodies a wild cannibalistic spirit. The performance begins in a ceremonial plank house after a fire has burned down to coals, creating a suitable atmosphere.
Dancers employ exaggerated facial expressions, arm movements, and footwork to convey the story of a forest-dwelling cannibal who threatens village life, thus reinforcing cultural values and the importance of societal order. Unlike many other Kwakiutl dances that use masks, the Hamatsa relies instead on the visibility of the dancer's face, allowing for a richer expression of emotion. Over time, the Hamatsa dance has adapted to contemporary contexts while maintaining its cultural significance, continuing to be performed by the Kwakiutl and other First Nations communities in the twenty-first century.
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Hamatsa (dance)
- TRIBES AFFECTED: Kwakiutl, variations practiced by Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka), Heiltsuk, Haisla, Nuxalk (Bella Coola), and Southern Kwakiutl groups
- SIGNIFICANCE: The Hamatsa, or Cannibal Dance, is intended to inspire fear and awe in the audience
The Hamatsa, a dance performed by the Kwakiutl of British Columbia, Canada, is used primarily to induct novice shamans, as well as spiritual healers and leaders, into the Hamatsa Society. Their membership in this society assures them of higher status as community healers. The Hamatsa dance is also occasionally performed at potlatches.
The Hamatsa or “cannibal,” is the central figure of the dance. Before each performance, a fire is lit in a large ceremonial plank house. The dance begins after the fire has burned down to coals and the proper mood has been established. Through repetitive arm gestures, shuffling of the feet from side to side, exaggerated and contorted facial expressions, and manipulations of the eyes, the Hamatsa dancer attempts to instill a sense of fear and awe in the audience. The skill of a Hamatsa dancer is measured by the reactions of people in the audience. If they seem uneasy and spellbound, the dance is considered successful.
The dance roughly follows the story of a “wild” or “unkept” cannibal who lives in the forest and occasionally comes near villages to devour unsuspecting children. It is interesting to note that although most Kwakiutl dances require masks, they are not typically employed by Hamatsa dancers because so much of the effect of the dance relies on the improvisational use of facial contortions. To embellish the role of a wild man, the dancer’s face must be visible.
Researchers who have worked with the Kwakiutl have speculated about the underlying functions of this First Nations dance. Some have suggested that it reaffirms a basic symbolic separation between well-ordered things, such as village life, and things that represent disorder, such as the forest. Thus, the Hamatsa theme might reinforce cultural values for the village and societal togetherness, while pointing to what can happen if those values are neglected. In the twenty-first century, the Hamatsa dance continued to be performed by the Kwakiutl and other First Nations tribes, although it has evolved and been adapted for modern times.
Bibliography
Dick, Francis. "'Hamatsa' - Northwest Coast Native Canadian Arts." DaVic Gallery of Native Canadian Arts, nativecanadianarts.com/gallery/hamatsa. Accessed 28 Sept. 2024.
"Hamaťsa Fact Sheet." Living Tradition: The Kwakwaka'wakw Potlatch on the Northwest Coast, umistapotlatch.ca/enseignants-education/cours‗5‗partie‗3-lesson‗5‗part‗3-eng.php. Accessed 28 Sept. 2024.
"Northwest Coast Native Settings - Hamsamala." Canadian Museum of History, www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/aborig/nwca/nwcah06e.html. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.