We purchased the Medicine Elk mask at a Native American art festival at the Heard Museum in Phoenix. We met the artists, Black Eagle, and were immediately taken by his craftsmanship and his insights into the power of the mask. The mask is made almost entirely of natural materials, including horsehair, feathers, abalone shell, elk horns, bison tooth, and animal hide. Non-natural material consists of bullet casings, signifying the hunt. The mask’s most important feature is its open mouth, giving it the ability to speak its secrets. Alexa feared the mask but overcame her fears to discover the lockbox was hidden in a compartment behind the mask. Her fear conquered she suddenly saw Medicine Elk as beautiful.
