Potlatch
/ˈpɒt.lætʃ/noun
A ceremonial feast among Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest involving gift-giving, public displays of wealth, and sometimes the redistribution or destruction of property.
Did you know?Colonial authorities in Canada banned potlatches from 1885 to 1951 because these ceremonies transferred wealth, authority, names, and rights outside colonial control.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-contact era
Nuu-chah-nulth
paɬaˑč
“A giving ceremony or act of giving; the deeper form is associated with the ceremonial exchange later called a potlatch.”
18th Century
Nuu-chah-nulth
paɬaˑč
“A ceremonial gift-giving event practiced on the northwest coast of North America.”
Late 18th–Early 19th Century
Chinook Jargon
patlach
“To give, make a gift, or hold a ceremonial distribution; the trade language spread the term between Indigenous communities and newcomers.”
19th Century
English
potlatch
“An Indigenous Pacific Northwest feast marked by competitive generosity, feasting, dancing, and public distribution of goods.”
1885–1951
Canadian English
potlatch
“A ceremony targeted by legal prohibition under Canada’s anti-potlatch laws, which attempted to suppress Indigenous cultural and political institutions.”
Modern English
English
potlatch
“A ceremonial feast or generous communal gathering, also used more broadly for an event involving conspicuous giving.”