How to Make Navajo Masks

The Navajo mask is an important facet of the tribe's culture.

The Navajo are Native American people who once inhabited a large portion of the Southwest United States. At its zenith, their civilization was one of the biggest on the continent. Today more Americans claim Navajo ancestry than almost any other group, which is why the tribe is still so culturally prevalent. The Navajo mask, representing the peoples' affinity for spiritualism and nature, is one of the tribe's most important icons. Making a Navajo mask is a relatively simple procedure.

Things You'll Need

• Glue
• Faux fur
• Rubber bands
• Cardboard
• Staples
• Mop head
• Leather sheets
• White paint
• Scissors
• Knife
• Drawing utensil

Instructions

1. Cut a large rectangle -- 3 to 4 inches bigger than the size of the face of the wearer -- out of cardboard. Use the rectangle to trace the same shape on a sheet of leather. Cut the leather rectangle with a knife. Draw holes for eyes on the leather and cardboard rectangles. Navajo masks feature little slits for eyes, so draw them narrow and small. Cut the eyes out of the two pieces with the knife.

2. Glue the leather and cardboard rectangles together, even at the eye holes. Make circles around each eye with white paint. Also paint a line from the forehead of the mask down to its chin. Staple a rubber band onto both sides of the mask, creating a loop to hold the mask on. The staples should be around eye level.

3. Staple the bristles of a mop head to the backside of the cardboard part of the mask. Have them hang like bangs down right above the eyes of the leather front side. Tie some of the bristles up on at the top of the mask, but keep at least a few hanging down over the leather forehead.

4. Draw a rectangle about 4 inches wider than the mask's width on faux fur. Cut it out and put it on the mask, covering the lower half. Overlap it a little more than 1 1/2 inches on both sides. Glue the overlapping fur onto the backside of the mask. Attach the the rest of faux fur on the mask's front.

References

• "Native North American Art"; Janet Catherine Berlo and Ruth B Phillips; 1998
• Old Picture: Navajo Indian Masks; 2008