​​Pukmis (also known as Pookmis, the Nearly-Drowned, the Drowned Fisherman, or Whaler Spirit) is a formidable spirit feared by seafarers for its swift and dangerous nature. Believed to inhabit the waters, Pukmis seeks out those who are unprepared or disrespectful of the sea's power. Revered by the Nuu-Chah-Nulth and some neighbouring nations, Pukmis embodies the ocean's treacherous might, serving as a stark reminder of the deep respect and caution the sea commands.

This Pukmis mask, created in June 1980 by Art Thompson, is crafted from cedar wood and painted with acrylics to achieve its striking colouration. Thompson, along with fellow artist Joe David, is widely credited with reviving Nuu-chah-nulth carving and design styles. As is often characteristic, the mask is primarily white, evoking a ghostly and eerie presence that resembles a drowned or nearly-drowned individual. The rounded eyes are rimmed with striking red highlights, drawing us into their intense gaze and evoking the chilling image of the blood-filled eyes seen in some drowning victims. The lips are painted a vivid red, shaped into a distinctive pursed form, to cry “pook pook,” which linguistically has to do with the sounds of whales spouting [1]. This work is enriched with natural horse hair that flows down from the top of the mask, which imbues the work with a wild, untamed appearance.

1. Ross Coates, Gods Among Us: American Indian Masks, (San Diego, CA: California State University, 1989), p. 28.