Week 1 - Potlatches!!!

One thing we learned this week that piqued my interest was the differing structures that existed in Native American societies. I found this interesting because while many of the societies were egalitarian, others were quite stratified; however, these societies were not stratified in the same sense that we in modern capitalist societies are accustomed to. The societies had many methods of wealth redistribution that prevented exuberant wealth and crippling poverty. Included in these methods was the Potlatch. Potlatches were festivals celebrated by American Indians from the Northwest. In a potlatch, which I discovered is translated as “give away” or “gift,” a wealthy citizen would invite their neighbors to partake in the several day festival, where they would receive gifts. These gifts were given under the agreement of reciprocity. Any who accepted gifts would have to reciprocate, at a later date, a gift to the potlatch host. While this was not like being in debt to the mob, it was a great method of wealth redistribution and encouraged all citizens, even the poorest, to engage in trade and societal interdependence.

While I was researching about potlatches, I discovered that they were banned by the US and Canadian governments near the turn of the 19^th century. While I know it is terrible to judge history from my modern perspective, but I found this to be quite appalling, as the festival caused no public disturbances. One of the reasons cited for the ban was that it was an obstruction to converting the native peoples to Christianity. I’m quite appalled.