Anth 1120 - Potlatch Proposal: Indigenous Cultures of British Columbia

This is a student-submitted essay proposal focusing on the Potlatch tradition among the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, particularly in British Columbia. Potlatch is a gift-giving feast that has historical significance, including a period of being banned by Canadian and American federal governments. The proposal includes an abstract describing the topic and annotated bibliographies of primary research on feasting rituals, social relations, aboriginal pottery distribution in Canada, and corded pottery in the Upper Ottawa Valley. The essay aims to explore a topic relating to indigenous cultures of British Columbia, such as masks, whaling rituals, mythology, archaeology, economy, history of reserves, potlatch, totem pole symbolism, residential schools, language loss/revitalization, traditional territories, treaty issues, spirit dancing, cross-border issues, vision quests, blankets, weaving, cedar medicines, animal relations, or fishing techniques. The document includes a bibliography with citations formatted according to American Antiquity guidelines.

Running head: POTLATCH
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

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POTLATCH
Proposal:
A potlatch is a gift-giving feast practiced by indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest
Coast of Canada and the United States (Gamble, 2017). It is specifically common for the peoples
of the Interior and Subarctic adjoining of northwest cost. Potlatches went through a history of a
rigorous ban by the Canadian and American federal government and therefore, hotspot of
research by many anthropologists. Since the act of potlatch was decriminalized in the past war
years, it reemerged in some communities. A potlatch was held on occasions of birth, deaths,
adoption and it is typically held in the season of winter (Gamble, 2017). The host of the event
was a numaym, a cognatic kin group usually headed by aristocrats but a commoner and
occasional slaves also included in the ceremony. Only rich people of those communities have
the authority of hosting potlatch and tribal slaves were not allowed to attend it as guest or host.
Annotated bibliography:
Gamble, L. (2017). Feasting, ritual practices, social memory, and persistent places: new
interpretations of shell mounds in southern california. American Antiquity,82(3), 427-451.
doi:10.1017/aaq.2017.5
This is a primary source of literature and it is important because it provides a concise idea of the
ritual along with an interpretation of the social relations of California.
Pauketat, T., Kelly, L., Fritz, G., Lopinot, N., Elias, S., & Hargrave, E. (2002). The
Residues of Feasting and Public Ritual at Early Cahokia. American Antiquity, 67(2), 257-
279. doi:10.2307/2694566
It is primary source of literature and it is an important source because it gives the idea of the
association between the ritual and social, political foundation in the northwest region

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POTLATCH
Wintemberg, W. (1942). The Geographical Distribution of Aboriginal Pottery in Canada.
American Antiquity, 8(2), 129-141. doi:10.2307/275505
This is primary research and it is important in the field of anthropology because it gives the idea
of the geographical distribution of the aboriginal pottery in Canada including northern Manitoba,
northern and western Alberta.
Mitchell, B. (1963). The occurrence of Overall Corded Pottery in the Upper Ottawa Valley,
Canada. American Antiquity, 29(1), 114-115. doi:10.2307/278649
This is primary research and the researcher give the idea of the Corded Pottery in the Upper
Ottawa Valley, Canada that further highlighted the cultural differences of Canada and other
countries.

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POTLATCH
Bibliography:
Gamble, L. (2017). Feasting, ritual practices, social memory, and persistent places: new
interpretations of shell mounds in southern california. American Antiquity,82(3), 427-
451. doi:10.1017/aaq.2017.5
Mitchell, B. (1963). The occurrence of Overall Corded Pottery in the Upper Ottawa Valley,
Canada. American Antiquity, 29(1), 114-115. doi:10.2307/278649
Pauketat, T., Kelly, L., Fritz, G., Lopinot, N., Elias, S., & Hargrave, E. (2002). The Residues of
Feasting and Public Ritual at Early Cahokia. American Antiquity, 67(2), 257-279.
doi:10.2307/2694566
Wintemberg, W. (1942). The Geographical Distribution of Aboriginal Pottery in Canada.
American Antiquity, 8(2), 129-141. doi:10.2307/275505