The paint is black, red, blue, and white.

Spirit of the Ancestors-Puppet headdresses representing a skeletal human figure are rare in museum collections. The Towkit (or Toogwid) dancer uses magical puppets to display her supernatural power, part of the Tseyka (or Red Cedar Bark) dances of the Kwakwaka'wakw. This puppet wears a bagwikila, a cedar bark neck ring with a human body, as worn by the Hamat'sa (cannibal dancer), the most prestigious of the Tseyka dance privileges.

The acrylic paint is black, red, and blue.

'Spirit of the Ancestors' - This apron is the only contemporary Chilkat style weaving in the Burke's collection, and was woven by the only male Native weaver known to use this technique. Many believe that Tsimshian women originated this complex technique of weaving in the late 18th or early 19th centuries. This apron depicts a Raven with its wings outstretched.

Spirit of the Ancestors-All Northwest Coast people have traditions of giant, often malevolent human-like creatures that dwell in the dark wilderness and occasionally interact with humans. The Dzoonokwa is the archetypical monster-giant of the Northwest Coast. Sometimes described as an eater of human flesh or a stealer of children, she also can be the bestower of power and wealth. For those whose ancestors have met and bested her, the privilege of representing the Dzoonokwa in carved post, mask, and dramatic performance is a prized privilege. - Bill Holm