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EveryParampara

Potlatch

The ceremonial feast and gift-giving of the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest.

A pattern drawn for this page, not a picture of Potlatch.

Also: potlach

The potlatch is a ceremony of the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest coast, including the Kwakwaka'wakw, Haida and Tlingit, in which a host gives feasts, songs, dances and gifts to guests, who witness a change in status, such as a naming, a marriage or a death. Hosts show their rank and wealth by giving away goods. Canada banned the potlatch in 1885, and the ban lasted until 1951, with many ceremonial objects confiscated. The ceremony endured, and today it is practised openly, with the return of masks and regalia from museums. It is a deep expression of the community's law, history and generosity.

Region: North America

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