Potlatching among the Kwakuitl
The Kwakiutl are an American Indian tribe that live on the northern shore of Vancouver Island in British Columbia and on the adjacent mainland in a country with a coastline almost as long and inletted per square mile of territory as that of Norway (Bohannon, 1966). The Kwakiutl are significant in that they engage in a very unique form of exchange known as ‘potlatching’.A potlatch was a ceremonial given by a chief and his group, as hosts, to guests composed of another chief or chiefs with their respective groups, at which the guests were given wealth goods as gifts (Drucker, 1967). Kottak (1982) defines a potlatch as a festive event where, assisted by other members of their communities, sponsors gave away food, blankets, pieces of copper and other items. In return for this they got prestige. To give a potlatch enhanced a son’s reputation and prestige increased with the lavishness of the potlatch and the value of the goods given away with it. Bohannon (1966) offers another definition of the potlatch. The word potlatch is derived from the Chinook language and it means ‘gift’. The potlatch is a ceremonial occasion on which one exchanges or gives gifts to one’s rival, who is a man occupying a status closest to one’s
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Norway Bohannon, British Columbia, bohannon 1966, hundred blankets, kottak 1982, American Indian, hundred percent, hundred blankets hundred, blankets hundred blankets, haviland 1989, blankets hundred, potlatch ceremonial, north pacific, 450 blankets, 1966 kwakiutl, bohannon 1966 kwakiutl, north pacific coast, bohannon 1966 potlatches,
Approximate Word count = 1694
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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