🖼ap art history review

Potlatches

Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated August 2025
Verified for the 2027 exam
Verified for the 2027 examWritten by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated August 2025

Definition

Potlatches were ceremonial gatherings and feasts held by indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest. They involved the redistribution of wealth, where hosts would give away valuable items to guests as a display of their social status and generosity.

AP course connection

Topic 5.1: 5.1 Interactions Within and Across Cultures in Indigenous American Art

Unit 5

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