Thursday, May 31, 2012

There Are Many Ways To View Wealth

In the Northwest, the more you give away, the wealthier you become.

Potlatch


A potlatch is a gift-giving festival and primary economic system practiced by indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of Canada and United States. This includes Heiltsuk Nation, Haida, Nuxalk, Tlingit, Makah, Tsimshian, Nuu-chah-nulth, Kwakwaka'wakw, and Coast Salish cultures. The word comes from the Chinook Jargon, meaning "to give away" or "a gift"; originally from the Nuu-chah-nulth word p̓ačiƛ, to make a ceremonial gift in a potlatch. It went through a history of rigorous ban by both the Canadian and United States' federal governments, and has been the study of many anthropologists.

At potlatch gatherings, a family or hereditary leader hosts guests in their family's house and holds a feast for their guests. The main purpose of the potlatch is the re-distribution and reciprocity of wealth.

Different events take place during a potlatch, like singing and dancing, sometimes with masks or regalia, such as Chilkat blankets, the barter of wealth through gifts, such as dried foods, sugar, flour, or other material things, and sometimes money. For many potlatches, spiritual ceremonies take place for different occasions. This is either through material wealth such as foods and goods or non-material things such as songs and dances. For some cultures, such as Kwakwaka'wakw, elaborate and theatrical dances are performed reflecting the hosts' genealogy and cultural wealth. Many of these dances are also sacred ceremonies of secret societies like the hamatsa, or display of family origin from supernatural creatures such as the dzunukwa. Typically the potlatching is practiced more in the winter seasons as historically the warmer months were for procuring wealth for the family, clan, or village, then coming home and sharing that with neighbors and friends."

my future wife accepted my gift of salmon, and I became all the richer for it
click for biggery

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Do these people realise that ALL fish in the Pacific are now ROTTEN with radiation. Eat that crap and you are going to DIE !! But the american and Canadian governments will not tell you. Best you get a Geiger counter !!!

1/6/12 10:30 AM  
Blogger nolocontendere said...

I wouldn't eat a scrap of seafood now from the west coast or the gulf for that matter.
25 years ago when my picture was taken was a different story. Ate a lot of seafood, and it was very good.

5/6/12 1:52 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home

Cost of the War in Iraq
(JavaScript Error)
To see more details, click here.