How long is a potlatch

Coppers with animal names refer to the crest of the original owner. Only chiefs can own coppers and owning a copper is required to conduct certain types of potlatch business. Coppers document the most important events and transactions engaged in during the life of its owner and perhaps his or her descendants as well.

The more used a copper was, or the more it was publicly displayed in a potlatch, the more valuable it became. One special copper was known to be worth nine thousand blankets. A rival who could not respond faced humiliation before the community. Today, breaking of coppers is not permitted at all within the ceremonial Bighouse because it is considered a hostile act.

A copper is a material item considered very valuable in Kwakw a k a 'wakw culture. But perhaps even more valuable than a copper, a song is considered the most treasured gift one can receive. Songs are usually passed down within families to the oldest son. No pile of blankets, no matter how high, can equal the value of a song. To receive a song is to receive great cultural wealth and gives a person high status in the community.

Such rights include: Rights to land, property, fishing holes, berry patches, hunting grounds, and beach fronts. The right to wear, use, and display certain regalia and objects that indicate leadership: hats, blankets, dance aprons, carved benches, shield-shaped copper plaques, masks, painted housefronts, and carved posts. Search The Canadian Encyclopedia. Remember me. I forgot my password. Why sign up? Create Account. Suggest an Edit. Enter your suggested edit s to this article in the form field below.

Accessed 11 November In The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Article published February 07, ; Last Edited October 24, In the 71 years of the Potlatch Law almost an entire generation grew up deprived of the cultural fabric of their ancestors and countless thousands of irreplaceable ceremonial masks, robes, blankets and other potlatch items were lost forever to their People.

It prevented the passing down of our values. It meant an interruption of the respected forms of government that we used to have, and we did have forms of government be they oral, and not in writing before any of the Europeans came to this country. We had a system that worked for us. We respected each other.

We had ways of dealing with disputes. If you are honoured with an invitation to witness a potlatch , read this article for some insight on protocol.

If you found this article on the potlatch ban as part of the assimilation policy informative, we thought you may also find this article on Indian residential schools interesting. Group, Indian and Northern Affairs, We have hundreds of articles loaded with tips, suggestions, videos, and free eBooks for you.

Happy reading! Indigenous Corporate Training Inc. Readers looking for more detailed information, or who have questions, can sign up for our fee-for-service training. Also, ICT encourages everyone who reads this information to use their best judgment given their own circumstances, vulnerabilities, and needs, and to contact a consulting or legal professional if you have more specific questions.