Potlatches

Definition

Potlatches are a traditional practice among Indigenous communities, particularly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America, where members of a community gather to celebrate important events, redistribute wealth, and strengthen social bonds. The term 'potlatch' comes from the Chinook Jargon word meaning 'to give' or 'a gift.'

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Potlatches serve as a means for Indigenous communities to maintain their cultural identity, social structure, and economic systems.
2. The redistribution of wealth during potlatches helps to ensure a more equitable distribution of resources within the community, promoting social cohesion and preventing the accumulation of individual wealth.
3. Potlatches are often associated with important life events, such as births, marriages, deaths, or the installation of a new chief, and are used to commemorate these occasions.
4. The practice of potlatches was banned by the Canadian government in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as part of a broader effort to assimilate Indigenous peoples and suppress their cultural practices.
5. Despite the historical suppression of potlatches, many Indigenous communities in the Pacific Northwest have continued to practice this tradition, adapting it to modern contexts and using it as a means of cultural revitalization.

Review Questions

• Explain the significance of the principle of reciprocity in the context of potlatches.
  • The principle of reciprocity is central to the potlatch tradition, where the exchange and redistribution of gifts and wealth among community members fosters a sense of mutual obligation and interdependence. This reciprocal exchange helps to maintain social cohesion and ensure a more equitable distribution of resources within the community, as hosts demonstrate their wealth and generosity by providing abundant food and hospitality to their guests.
• Describe the role of ceremonial feasting and destruction in the potlatch tradition.
  • Potlatches often involve elaborate ceremonial feasting, where hosts provide abundant food and hospitality to their guests, demonstrating their wealth and social status. In some potlatch traditions, the host may also engage in the ceremonial destruction of valuable goods, such as the burning of blankets or the sinking of canoes, as a way to further showcase their wealth and generosity. These ceremonial practices serve to reinforce the social hierarchy, solidify community bonds, and maintain the cultural identity of the Indigenous communities that practice the potlatch tradition.
• Analyze the historical suppression of potlatches by the Canadian government and the subsequent efforts of Indigenous communities to revitalize this cultural practice.
  • The potlatch tradition was banned by the Canadian government in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as part of a broader effort to assimilate Indigenous peoples and suppress their cultural practices. This suppression was a significant blow to the cultural identity and social structure of the affected communities. However, many Indigenous communities in the Pacific Northwest have continued to practice the potlatch tradition, adapting it to modern contexts and using it as a means of cultural revitalization. The persistence of the potlatch tradition, despite historical attempts at suppression, highlights the resilience and adaptability of Indigenous cultures, and their ongoing efforts to preserve and celebrate their unique cultural heritage.

Related terms

Reciprocity:

The principle of reciprocity is central to the potlatch tradition, where gifts and wealth are exchanged and redistributed among community members, fostering a sense of mutual obligation and interdependence.

Ceremonial Feasting: Potlatches often involve elaborate ceremonial feasting, where hosts provide abundant food and hospitality to their guests, demonstrating their wealth and social status.

Ceremonial Destruction: In some potlatch traditions, the host may engage in the ceremonial destruction of valuable goods, such as the burning of blankets or the sinking of canoes, as a way to demonstrate their wealth and generosity.