Potlatches: A Gift-Giving Festival of the Pacific Northwest Coast Indigenous Community

Running Head: CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY
Cultural Anthropology
Name
Institute Affiliation

CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2
Proposal
Potlatches are festival associated with the themes of songs, ritual, dance, and ceremony in
order to observe ceremonial masks to be seen and performed. It is theatricality and symbolism to
consider the reason for festival for Northwest Coast Culture. The whole procession is followed
up with hereditary possession, finalise with the gift giving ceremony to entitle them adequately.
The term Potlatch is referred to as a gift-giving festival celebrated by the Indigenous
community of the Pacific Northwest Coast of Canada and the United States. It has been
discussed among researchers that most people celebrate ritual and a gift-giving economy based
people living on coastal sides. However, this particular festival is associated with a number of
bans by the government of Canada and the American federal, and it is also associated with the
risk of criminal punishment. According to anthropologists, the practice was a de-criminalized
post-war period; it has re-emerged in different communities. Particularly, this tradition is
associated with births, deaths, adoption, wedding, or any other event important for people. More
specifically, this tradition is celebrated during the winter season. It is found that people usually
spent on procuring wealth for the family, the clan, and the village. Historically, the event was
hosted by Numaym in Kwakwaka’wakw culture.
The event is quite complex leading by a group of aristocrats. However, it also includes
commoners and occasional slaves. It is important for this essay to outline that the culture
difference and uniqueness between these groups have their own features. Different clans along
the coast have their own way to practice potlatch with their diverse presentation and meaning.
For example, the Tlingit and Kwakiutl nations along the coast arrange Potlatch ceremonies for
different occasions. These are normally arranged for the succession and funerals.

CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY 3
Meanwhile, it is also arranged for marriages and to incorporate new people in their tribe.
In 1884, this tradition was marked illegal in Canada; it was because of missionaries and
government agents who worked to determine this tradition as a waste and against civilized
accumulation values. Previously, it was seen as a target in the assimilation of policies and
agenda. Even after the ban, Potlatch has remained a social, political, and economic institution.
Potlatches are rehearsed by various diverse gatherings over the Northwest Pacific Coast
of North America, and they differ significantly. Most data about potlatches is known from the
Kwakiutl or Kwakwaka'wakw. The historical background of Potlatch is associated with the
blessing ceremony’s in the Kwakwaka'wakw language. The potlatch is a conspicuous showcase
of riches. A pioneer will accumulate the network together to eat, blessing giving, and even
demolition of profitable items to advance the social remaining of the pioneer's home or numaym.
A numaym is a familial house to collect their own property possessions, oral history, pioneers,
and social practices. Each numaym is related with a particular genealogical cover, which is
utilized in moves at the potlatch function. Potlatches are held for religious occasions, weddings,
and other social events. House bunches contend with each other with an end goal to show, give
away, and pulverize ever bigger measures of riches. Envision lawmakers today getting together
the majority of their prized assets - vehicles, PDAs, PCs, and TVs - just to give them away or
annihilate them by and large!
It might be because this festival includes speeches, singing, dancing, feasting, and
witnessing the formal business, the previous nations have not written down the elements of this
festival. However, these stories have been told to people during their ceremonial events.
Therefore, it will be beneficial for this proposal and research to follow up with a more detailed