Potlatch Essays

Function of Potlatch in Indigenous British Columbia Introduction: For Indigenous communities in British Columbia, potlatch is an important cultural tradition that has served various social, political, and economic functions for centuries. Potlatch is a way of sharing wealth and knowledge within and between Indigenous communities. It is also a way of preserving Indigenous languages, art, and music. Finally, potlatch has economic significance for Indigenous communities in British Columbia, as it

The word potlatch comes from Chinook Jargon and is defined to give away or a gift. Originally this word comes from the Nuu-chah-nulth word paɬaˑč, which means to make a ceremonial gift in potlatch. A potlatch is a gift-giving feast practiced by Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of Canada along with the United States. The function of the potlatch was to demonstrate status and rank upon peoples, “kin group and clans, and also to establish claims to names, powers and rights to hunting

One of the most important ceremony to the Nisqually tribe is the Potlatch Ceremony. The Potlatch was a common form of puberty, marriage, burial or naming. Each person invited to a Potlatch received a present. The present can be simple or complicated, depends on the person who planned the Potlatch. In funerals, “bodies of the dead were either buried in rocky ground or wrapped in ropes, placed in a fishing canoe covered by mat, and

The Potlatch is a ceremonial feast held by tribes of Northwest Indians in North America. Members of these tribes would gather and save their possessions for many years, only to then give away or destroy their wealth during the Potlatch ceremony. To those who don’t share the culture of the American Indians, this can be a strange concept to understand; however, there are many benefits to the tradition such as gaining relationships and status and preventing abuse of power. The goods given away or

1. The Potlatch in the Raley’s shopping center, here in town, has a unique sign (word mark) and logo. “The Potlatch” is in a teal box with a yellow trim on the outside of the building with the letters with a look as if they are made of wood in black font. On all boxes, stickers, packages, etc., the letters are in a hunter green font color which is most used. The “A” is made to look like a teepee. The wood-font, hunter green color, and the teepee “A” should be all included in the trademark. 2.

Kwakiutl as a Dionysian culture and focused on their competitive giving in the potlatch. Even their shamans competed like chiefs or nobles. Describe the types of competitive giving found in the Kwakiutl culture and especially the potlatch and how it functions for them allowing them to use wealth as a weapon. Why did they say, “We do not fight with weapons. We fight with property.” (p. 189) There are several kinds of potlatch in the Kwakiutl culture. These include potlatches thrown as a coming-of-age

resource for anthropologists, students, and educators. In reviewing this book, the author brings a descriptive writing style when analyzing the Northern Athapaskan village of Tanacross culture and history with a focus on the potlatch giving us insight details how the potlatch celebrated among the Tanacross people. The author, William E. Simeone, is a great source for the Northern Athapaskan village of Tanacross because he lived there among the people. In addition to living there he also attended

resource to anthropologists, students, and educators. In reviewing this book, the author brings a descriptive writing style when analyzing the Northern Athapaskan village of Tanacross culture and history with a focus on the potlatch giving us insight details how the potlatch is seen and celebrated among the Tanacross people. The author, William E. Simeone, is a great source on the Northern Athapaskan village of Tanacross because he lived there among the people. In addition to living there he also

satisfied with the material possessions, and passionately seek for a higher social status. This derived a special traditional event, potlatch. Potlatch was “a form of competitive feasting, in which a powerful leader of the group shows off his wealth and prestige to other rival leaders” by giving out and destroying extravagant presents. (Reynolds, 2011) However, potlatch was forbidden in 1884 by the federal government because it was seen as “wasteful, reckless and anti-Christian” action. (Gadacz, 2015)

As you hear the buzz of conversation while you prepare the food on the beach, you wonder what this potlatch would be like. You listen to the drums being pounded and look at the dancers rehearsing one last time. The chief enters the scene. The potlatch is about to begin. A potlatch is a huge party held by wealthy and important people, such as the chief. The host would give away his or her possessions to every guest. Everyone got a different gift depending on how important they were to

families were destroyed and in grief for their lost ones. As Canada became a country, the Indian Act was founded in 1867. This Act governs the matters relating to Indian status, reserves and bands. There are many parts to this Act. They are the “Potlatch Law” and Section 141, Bill C-31 and gender discrimination, White Paper, and the 1951 amendments. The Act was established to eliminate the cultural, social, political, and economic qualities of Aboriginals through assimilating them into the culture

birds are similar in that they are both trickster, however, they are different in how successful they are, who they end up affecting as well as if they use supernatural powers. The raven savagely invites all of his friends to the crow’s house for a potlatch as a way to get food even though he has been lazy and didn't collect food all summer. He uses all of the crow’s food to feed all the animals he has invited. The crow believes that even though he has fed all the animals, at least he's going to get

The Potlatch Law being the most controversial. The potlatch was a ceremony done by the First Nations in the west to mark important events and share wealth. But in 1884 the government banned potlatches under the Indian Act. In view of the fact, the government as well as non-natives saw

The theme of this weeks readings remind me of a famous quote by Richard Bach "The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life". In these reading winter ceremonies was a main focus. The "Potlach" was a name given to most winter ceremonies in the Natives of the Northwest Coast celebrations. Originating from the Nuu-chah-nulth meaning to give. The Chief called the Northwest Coast people together to attend Potlatches.Winter ceremonies such as, these

The Kwakiutl tribe is part of the Kwakwaka 'wakw, a group of Native American tribes living in the Northwestern region of North America. The Kwakiutl have a rich culture and a history of tension with the government of British Columbia. Sculptures, paintings, theatre, music, dance, and oratory performances are all part of Kwakiutl culture. Many of these are based upon their religion. For example, wintertime is full of religious-intensive activity, including performances that depicted dramatizations

Essay Outline The human race that inhabited the lands earlier than anyone else, Aboriginals in Canada had conquered many obstacles which got them to what they are today. In the past, Canadian Aboriginals have dealt with many gruesome issues that primarily involved the Canadians opposing them or treating them like ‘‘wards.’’ The Indian Act is a written law which controls the Indian’s lives and it is often amended several times to make Indian lives either peaceful or cruel but especially

The Northwest Coast Indians are believed to have begun living on the west coast area of what we now know as Alaska, Washington State, Oregon, California, and British Columbia, Canada over 10,000 years ago. The Bella Coola, Haida, Nootka, and Tlingit are just a few of the tribes that make up the Northwest Coast Indians who were known as the richest Native American’s due to the large quantity of natural resources that were available to them in this region. Living along the coast, there was so much

Throughout the first world war, both Canadian and German troops were challenged with a variety of hardships, the most prominent being the poor living conditions of the trenches. When reading the books, Generals Die In Bed and All Quiet on the Western Front, we can see the lack of sleep, lice in clothing, and subpar equipment that the German and Canadian troops were required to deal with. The quality of life in the trenches over the four years of war exhibits the historical concept of continuity.

wealthy because it took a year or more to finish. They were usually made of red cedar because the wood is very easy to carve (Liptak 55). “ A Tlingit might spend years gathering pelts, blankets, and weapons, then give them all up in a feast, called a potlatch,

I] Introduction Lewis Hyde’s “The Gift”, subtitled “Creativity and the Artist in the modern world” is a deliberation – thesis, if you will - on the nature of the creative process; likening it to the principles of a gift economy and thereby highlighting the uneasy existence of creative labour and art in a modern world ruled by the ethos of capitalism. Published in 1983, Hyde’s work is heavily influenced by that of the acclaimed sociologist Marcell Mauss according to whom gift economies are marked