The Potlatch CeremonyA potlatch was a religious ceremony held by some American Indian tribes. This ceremony was extremely important to their social structure. These tribes were from regions along the Pacific Northwest coast. These regions ranged from the United States to British Columbia, Canada. Some of the tribes were the Haida, Nuxalk, Salish, and Tlingit.The name potlatch is derived from the Chinook language. Every group that participated in the ceremony has a different way of saying it. The Chinook word sounds like the English words "pot" and "latch." But it has nothing to do with these things.Originally, the potlatch was held to commemorate important events. It could be the death of a highly respected person or a new child being born. Social ranks in American Indian societies were limited. So when a person changed his rank to a higher one, it had to be witnessed in order for people to accept it.The potlatch took the form of a ceremonial feast. It traditionally featured seal meat or salmon. During the feast, relationships of hierarchy between groups were created and strengthened through the exchange of gifts, dance performances, and other ceremonies. The host family made great efforts to demonstrate their wealth by giving away their possessions. This prompted prominent guests to return the favor by holding their own potlatch ceremonies.Before the arrival of the Europeans, potlatch gifts might be preserved food, boats, or human slaves. The influx of new sorts of goods such as blankets and copper caused a negative change in the potlatch in the late 18th and 19th centuries. Some groups used the potlatch as an arena for battle. At this arena, highly competitive contests of status took place. In some cases, gifts were destroyed after being received.Potlatching was made illegal in Canada in 1885 and outlawed in the United States in the late 19th century because missionaries and government agents desired this. They thought it was a foolish custom. In their view, it was wasteful, unproductive, and bad for the people who did it. Despite the ban, potlatching continued secretly for many years.Years later, numerous tribes begged the government to repeal the ban. They compared the potlatch to Christmas. They said the potlatch was a feast where friends exchanged gifts, like Christmas. Potlatching became less of an issue in the 20th century. So the ban was dropped.Today, many ethnographers study the potlatch. They are fascinated by this festive event. The sponsors of a potlatch hand out many valuable items. They earn prestige in return. This prestige increases with the richness of the potlatch.The wordwitnessedis closest in meaning to …