Ircit. By Uyuruciar (Jack Williams Sr., 1911-1994)
[note: Uyuruciar spoke English, but his first language was Cup'ig. In the following transcription his English has been smoothed to make it more readable.- RD]

Jack: Back in Nash Harbor, and back down at my Paamiut area, that long, great-big hill back there, the one we passed on our right side, one person is going in there, it's just like a house, going into another air [another world or universe]. There's other persons under that hill with a half‑way face.

Did you ever see the half‑way face masks? That's them kind. They talk, Eskimo language. They eat Eskimo food. They hunt like we hunt. They call them ircit; half animal, half people, look like you human persons, but the face is different. Half‑way.
[Jack U. Williams, Sr., 1986, July 2. Tape 86NUN010. Interview conducted in English by Robert Drozda and Miriam Stark, Bureau of Indian Affairs ANCSA Office. Tape copy and transcript on file at NPT.]

Ircig mask made by Nuratar (Andrew Noatak) in 1987. The mask is painted with traditional pigments, red ochre and blue vivianite form Nelson Island. This may have been the last mask made by Nuratar, who was 100 years old, more or less at the time. (Photo by R. Drozda from private collection).