AIS 270 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Chinook Jargon, George Clutesi
18 Oct 2016
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Reading: ergei ka(cid:374), (cid:862)potlat(cid:272)h,(cid:863) philip dru(cid:272)ker, (cid:862) o(cid:373)e variatio(cid:374)s of the potlat(cid:272)h,(cid:863) Chinook trade jargon: based on many of the words derived from the chinook language, A potlatch in the basic sense is a public event/gathering for bringing people together for various reasons: bestow or transfer names/rights, validate marriages, to recognize coming of age, mourn and honor the dead. In pre-contact times the only people with title and status held potlatches. Potlatches were held in huge longhouses constructed specifically for the ceremonies. Curre(cid:374)tly, potlat(cid:272)hes do(cid:374)"t (cid:373)ai(cid:374)tai(cid:374) the sa(cid:373)e sig(cid:374)ifi(cid:272)a(cid:374)(cid:272)e (cid:271)e(cid:272)ause the pre-contact hierar(cid:272)hy/so(cid:272)ial stru(cid:272)ture is (cid:374)o lo(cid:374)ger appli(cid:272)a(cid:271)le, thus people do(cid:374)"t (cid:374)eed to reinforce/affirm their position of power. Pre-contact, children would not have attended many potlatches, with the exception of marriage ceremonies: currently, children are invited to ceremonies with the exception of the (cid:862)(cid:449)aili(cid:374)g(cid:863) time where people mourn the dead. Functions of the potlatch system: political. Public gathering/event to witness a demonstration of family prerogative.
