Fig. 1: Helmet. 
Tlingit. 
20.5 x 35.5 cm. 
Wood, shell, horsehair, pigments.

Helmets such as this formed an important part of the warrior's attire. The animals on them identified the wearer's clan, though in this case the carving provides relatively little information to identify the specific creatures to us. Certain Northwest Coast groups held ceremonies as part of secret societies in which they celebrated animistic rituals dedicated to a particular creature in an effort to capture its force or "anima." The wolf, which appears to be an element of this helmet, was one of those animals. Admired, feared, and respected for its strength and ferocity, the elderly were known to abandon their lives to it when they felt they were no longer useful.