What is a Potlatch?
Potlatch ceremony at Fort Rupert, British Columbia
Photograph by R.B. Dixon, 1898
PMAE # 2004.1.363.4
Every event during a potlatch highlighted the host's status by demonstrating his wealth or expounding on his inherited privileges. Ownership of such privileges determined status.
Potlatch Mask; Kwakiutl
PMAE # 17-17-10/87194
Potlatches included speeches, singing, dancing, feasting, and gift-giving. Speeches, songs, and dances allowed a host to assert his ancestral privileges to the guests. Masks and headdresses worn during dances depicted the supernatural being who had "given" the dance to the host or one of his ancestors. Button blankets, such as the the ones shown in the Gifting in Potlatch section, were worn during dances and given as gifts. Serving food allowed the host to demonstrate his generosity and wealth, as did distributing gifts.