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Yup'ik masks: Carvings depicting distorted spirits' faces dreamed up by shamans in Alaska

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The Yup'ik people, whose ancestors arrived in southwestern Alaska around 800 years ago , are known for their elaborate and often-fantastical-looking masks.

The masks were carved from spruce driftwood found along the coast, with natural fibers added for movement.

Masks were an essential part of religious practice, anthropologist Dorothy Jean Ray wrote in 1967 .