Potlatch ceremony

E466934
Indigenous cultural practice ceremonial feast gift-giving ceremony

The Potlatch ceremony is a traditional Indigenous ceremonial feast and gift-giving event of many First Nations peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, central to their social, political, and spiritual life.

Jump to: Surface forms Statements Referenced by

Observed surface forms (3)

Surface form Occurrences
Nisga’a feast system 1
Potlatch 1
Potlatch ceremonies 1

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Indigenous cultural practice ⓘ
ceremonial feast ⓘ
gift-giving ceremony ⓘ
associatedWith Northwest Coast Indigenous art NERFINISHED ⓘ
Pacific Northwest Coast of North America NERFINISHED ⓘ
crest and clan systems ⓘ
centralTo political life of participating communities ⓘ
social life of participating communities ⓘ
spiritual life of participating communities ⓘ
criminalizationPeriodEnd 1951 ⓘ
criminalizationPeriodStart 1884 ⓘ
hasEconomicRole display of generosity and wealth ⓘ
non-market redistribution of resources ⓘ
hasFunction affirmation of hereditary rights ⓘ
marking social status ⓘ
redistribution of wealth ⓘ
spiritual observance ⓘ
strengthening kinship ties ⓘ
validation of names and titles ⓘ
hasMainActivity feasting ⓘ
gift-giving ⓘ
ritual performance ⓘ
song and dance ⓘ
speech-making ⓘ
hasSocialRole conflict resolution and alliance-building ⓘ
regulation of rank and prestige ⓘ
hasSpiritualRole honouring ancestors ⓘ
maintaining relationships with spirit beings ⓘ
historicallyCriminalizedBy Government of Canada NERFINISHED ⓘ
involves display of regalia and ceremonial objects ⓘ
formal speeches by leaders and elders ⓘ
hosts distributing gifts to guests ⓘ
public witnessing of claims and events ⓘ
use of traditional songs and dances ⓘ
languageOfTermDerivedFrom Chinook Jargon word "patlac" or "potlatch" meaning "to give" or "a gift" ⓘ
occasionFor funerals ⓘ
installation of chiefs ⓘ
marriages ⓘ
memorials ⓘ
naming ceremonies ⓘ
practicedBy Coast Salish peoples NERFINISHED ⓘ
First Nations peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast NERFINISHED ⓘ
Haida NERFINISHED ⓘ
Kwakwaka'wakw NERFINISHED ⓘ
Tlingit NERFINISHED ⓘ
Tsimshian NERFINISHED ⓘ
recognizedAs important element of Indigenous cultural heritage ⓘ
restrictedBy United States authorities in the late 19th and early 20th centuries ⓘ

Referenced by (4)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Wilp (house groups) → associatedWith → Potlatch ceremony ⓘ
this entity surface form: Nisga’a feast system
Penelakut Tribe → hasCulturalPractice → Potlatch ceremony ⓘ
this entity surface form: Potlatch ceremonies
Indian Act → historicallyProhibited → Potlatch ceremony ⓘ
OpenStreetMap → supportsEditor → Potlatch ceremony ⓘ
this entity surface form: Potlatch