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Potlatch
The gift-giving feast of Northwest Coast peoples — where wealth means how much you give away.
📅 December 1 – 3 days
✦ Why It Matters
The Potlatch (Chinook: 'to give') is the central ceremony of Northwest Coast peoples (Haida, Tlingit, Kwakwaka'wakw). Wealth is measured by what you give away, not keep. Canada banned it from 1885-1951.
✦ How It Is Observed
Days of feasting, dancing, storytelling, the host gives away accumulated wealth (blankets, food, canoes, cash), guests witness legal transitions (inheritance, naming, titles), totem pole raisings, masked dances.