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potlatch ban
DCHP-2 (Oct 2016)
n. — Law, Administration, Aboriginal
the banning of the potlatch ceremony by the federal government from 1884 to 1951.
Type: 6. Memorial — In 1884, the federal government partially banned the potlatch ceremony, reportedly because of government disapproval of Aboriginal treatment of property. By the end of the period (see the 1936 quotation), the potlatch was completely banned. As potlatches are integral to First Nations culture, especially for Nations from the West Coast, the potlatch ban had a culturally damaging effect. The ban was lifted in 1951 (see Canadian Encyclopedia reference). The term is most prevalent in Canada (see Chart 1). The term as such is a rather recent phenomenon, as shown by the date of the earliest quotation (1985).
Quotations
1985
While Judge McEachern repeatedly said he was just seeking to uphold the authority of his court - not enter into a political controversy - many Haida believe his order is no more just than the potlatch laws the B.C. courts used to enforce. From 1884 until 1951, B.C. Indians were forbidden to hold traditional potlatch ceremonies, a cornerstone of the native kinship and legal system. The B.C. courts imprisoned violators of the potlatch ban.
1996
Mungo Martin, whose traditional name was Nakapenkim, was born in the late 19th century in Fort Rupert [...]. [...] He made art in defiance of the potlatch ban, and his poles were a source of pride for the Kwakiutl people whose spiritual life had been under attack by the church and the merchants.
2006
Of course, the Liberals will surely have us believe that the Conservatives will open residential schools tomorrow and revive the potlatch ban.
2013
The life-affirming music video, directed by filmmaker Cowboy Smithx, is like an anthem to cultural survival. The video has Inez and friends on the run from the Indian Agent, an evil figure in black who catches them drumming and singing during the Potlatch ban. They run to celebrate their vibrant culture, despite the efforts of the colonizers to wipe it out.
2016
For many years potlatches continued to be held in secret by people of the Northwest Coast with hopes that the Potlatch Ban would be repealed. In 1951, Section 149 of the Indian Act was deleted and people of the Northwest Coast were able to hold potlatches in public. The first held after the repeal was hosted by Mungo Martin, in Victoria, BC (Cole 1990). However, those who have had their families belongings confiscated have not forgotten and many are still looking to have them returned home.
References
- Canadian Encyclopedia • "Potlatch"
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