Potlatch

A ceremonial system of feasting, giving, and redistribution practiced by Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest. Hosts affirm status and relationships by distributing goods, while recipients witness and remember the proceedings.

Gift economy: An economic system in which transfers of goods or services create social obligations and relationships. Potlatch giving creates obligations and public ties rather than operating as simple exchange.
Pacific Northwest Coast: The coastal region of western Canada and the northwestern United States, home to many Indigenous nations. Potlatch traditions developed among Indigenous peoples of this region.
Chief Dan Cranmer: A Kwakwaka'wakw leader whose 1921 potlatch at Village Island led to mass arrests and prosecutions. His ceremony became a defining confrontation with Canada's potlatch prohibition.
Naming ceremony: A ceremony in which a person receives or publicly assumes a name within a community. Potlatches can publicly transmit names and the rights associated with them.
Barter: The direct exchange of goods or services without using money. Potlatch transfers follow ceremonial and political obligations, not merely immediate trade.
Social status: A person's or group's recognized position within a social hierarchy. Public distribution could affirm a host's rank and standing.
Kwakwaka'wakw: An Indigenous people of the central coast of British Columbia, with distinct communities and languages. Kwakwaka'wakw communities are among the best-documented practitioners of potlatch.
William Duncan: A nineteenth-century Anglican missionary who established a Christian settlement at Metlakatla, British Columbia. Duncan opposed Tlingit and Tsimshian ceremonial practices, including potlatching.
Funeral: A ceremony or set of practices honoring a deceased person and addressing the aftermath of death. Some potlatches mark mourning and help redistribute responsibilities after a death.
Market economy: An economic system in which prices and exchange are coordinated largely through markets. Market exchange differs from potlatch's public obligations and status-bearing distribution.

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