Potlatch Ceremony PDF

Curriculum Connection Name: ________________________ 45 A3.9, A3.10 What Does Potlatch Mean? The potlatch is a ceremony that many of the First Nations of the Northwest region p...

Curriculum Connection Name: ________________________ 45 A3.9, A3.10 What Does Potlatch Mean? The potlatch is a ceremony that many of the First Nations of the Northwest region participated in. These First Nations include the Tlingit, Haida, Coast Salish, and the Chinook and Dene. Families from all along the west coast would come together to celebrate births, give names, conduct marriages, mourn the loss of loved ones, or pass rights from a Chief to his eldest son. The word potlatch in the Chinook language, means “to give”. At the end of the potlatch, the host gives gifts to all the families in attendance. A host can achieve high status and respect in their community if they give out many gifts. In exchange for the gifts, the people in attendance must remember and pass on the knowledge of the events they witnessed. The End of the Potlatch In 1885, the Canadian government banned potlatch ceremonies. The government believed that the potlatch promoted anti-capitalist ideas where gifts were spread for no reason. Canada was trying to promote capitalism, which is the idea that hard work leads to wealth. In a capitalist society, you work and are paid based on the work you do. The Canadian Superintendent General of Indian Affairs, John A. Macdonald, called the potlatch, “the useless and degrading custom in vogue among the Indians … at which an immense amount of personal property is squandered in gifts by one Band to another, and at which much valuable time is lost” Potlatch Now Legal In 1951, the government changed the Canadian law, making potlatch ceremonies legal again. The removal of potlatch ceremonies to this point was clearly discriminatory and unfair. © Super Simple Sheets