Dwayne Simeon is a versatile artist who works in a variety of media and Northwest Coast styles. Primarily known for his ancestral Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw and Haida styles, Simeon is a master wood carver, painter, and jeweler. This mask is a rare depiction of a Gikamł, or Male Dzunuk’wa mask. According to the U’mista Cultural Society, “The Gikamł represents a male Dzunuk´wa or Giant of the Forest. There are two types of Dzunuk´wa masks: one for dancing, which is most often female, and another that is not danced, but [sic], presented by Chiefs to indicate their status and wealth.” [1]

In many respects, this is a classic rendering of a Dzunuk’wa. The mask features a glossy black paint base with bright red facial features, including eyes, cheeks, and pursed lips. As on other Dzunuk’wa masks, there is an emaciated appearance to the face, with sunken cheeks and the skeletal structure of the face emphasized through sculpture. Like on historic renderings of Gikamł, [2] Simeon has enhanced the mask with fur on the eyebrows, mustache, and beard, and has pegged in strands of horsehair along the top of the mask.

1. GIKAMŁ DŁU K´ALDAYU - CHIEF’S MASK & COPPER BREAKER. https://umistapotlatch.ca/visite-tour-eng.php?nojs=true&pano=1&label=gikaml. Accessed 24 August 2026.
2. Ibid. See photo.

CWS