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English
Description
Banned for 67 years by the Canadian government, the potlatch, the foundational ceremony of the Haida people, determined social structure, transmitted cultural knowledge, and redistributed wealth. When these public ceremonies were revived in 1969 by the Elders who collectively remembered the historical ways, the potlatch was embraced by a new generation, who reclaimed practices that had almost been lost forever. Sara Florence Davidson, an educator,...
Author
Language
English
Description
In 1884, the Canadian government enacted a ban on the potlatch, the foundational ceremony of the Haida people. The tradition, which determined social structure, transmitted cultural knowledge, and redistributed wealth, was seen as a cultural impediment to the government's aim of assimilation.
The tradition did not die, however, the knowledge of the ceremony was kept alive by the Elders through other events until the ban was lifted. In 1969, a potlatch...
Author
Language
English
Description
Among the Northwest Coast Indians (Tlingit, Haida, and others), potlatches traditionally are lavish community gatherings marking important events, such as funerals or marriages. In celebrations that often last many days, sumptuous meals are served; legends about clans and ancestors are sung and enacted with dances, masks, costumes, and drums; totem poles are often raised; and gifts are presented to all guests. Through this custom, cultural ties are...
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