The paint is red, black, and green.

The presence of supernatural power is expressed in some of the Tseyka performances by the sound of whistles. The hamatsa in particular is known by his whistles, which his attendants blow whenever the power of Bakhbakwalanooksiwey becomes strong in him. His first approach to the village after his long absence, supposedly at the house of the cannibal spirit, is heralded by the eerie sound. Whistles are held secret and are never intended to be seen in use. (Holm, Crooked Beak of Heaven, 1972)

This mask represents one of the mythical human-eating birds that appear during the Hamatsa dances, the most important of the Tseyka dances. The appearance of these masks helps to calm and tame the initiate Hamatsa dancer, who has been possessed by the Cannibal Spirit. The dancer, hidden by a long fringe of red-dyed cedar bark, imitates the high-stepping actions of the bird, shouts the bird's call, and snaps the hinged beak loudly at important points of the dance. (Holm, Crooked Beak of Heaven, 1972)