In the Land of the Head Hunters
In the Land of the Head Hunters is a 1914 silent film fictionalizing the world of the Kwakwaka'wakw peoples of the Queen Charlotte Strait region of the Central Coast of British Columbia, Canada, written and directed by Edward S. Curtis and acted entirely by Kwakwaka'wakw native people.
Kwagu'ł girl, Margaret Frank (née Wilson) was featured in Curtis's In the Land of the Head Hunters. Here she is shown in a portrait by Curtis wearing abalone shell earrings. Abalone shell earrings were a sign of the noble class.
George Hunt (with megaphone), Edward S. Curtis, and actors filming In The Land of the Head Hunters
Another production still.
The Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw, also known as the Kwakiutl, are one of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Their current population, according to a 2016 census, is 3,665. Most live in their traditional territory on northern Vancouver Island, nearby smaller islands including the Discovery Islands, and the adjacent British Columbia mainland. Some also live outside their homelands in urban areas such as Victoria and Vancouver. They are politically organized into 13 band governments.
Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw mask (19th century)
Wawaditʼla, also known as Mungo Martin House, a Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw "big house", with totem pole. Built by Chief Mungo Martin in 1953. Located at Thunderbird Park in Victoria, British Columbia.
Grave Marker, Gwaʼsa̱la Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw (Native American), late 19th century, Brooklyn Museum.
Dzawa̱da̱ʼenux̱w girl, Margaret Frank (née Wilson) wearing abalone shell earrings, a sign of nobility and worn only by members of this class.
