The women in this photograph display the type of head deformation that was
a popular custom among women of the Kwakiutl tribes of northern Vancouver,
Canada. Wooden boards were strapped to the heads of female infants, and
the resulting elongation of the s kull was highly valued mark of beauty,
prestige, and rank. The Kwakiutls were noted for their complex system of
rank and status. Their society was organized into strict divisions of
nobles, commoners, and slaves. Wealth and property were crucial indicator
s of one's place. Title, rank, and prerogative were passed from father to
first born son, and to the children of a married daughter from her father.
Bride price was a matter of great honor and an important source of wealth
to a family.