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Native Americans of the Northwest Coast,such as the Kwakwaka'wakw of Canada?
, were predominantly foragers, yet they often accumulated surplus goods and participated in lavish feasts and competitive gift-giving such as potlatching.Where do they fit on the continuums of production, consumption, and exchange? Examine potlatching. While not as elaborate of an exchange, do you see similar gift exchanges in your own culture? Is there such a thing as a "pure gift"?
3 Answers
- SalishLv 71 decade agoFavorite Answer
The point of a pot latch is to prove your lack of need for material posessions, hense increasing your moral wealth. The only gifts that are truely revered are those of song, story and knowlege (as in how to make certain medicins, the right to use certain designs, etc) and these are the only posessions treated as family heirlooms. Only non-natives would get this twisted. And yes, we eat well. Food comes to us around here if you take care of it properly.
Edit: to the answerer above me, those kinds of natives drive me nuts. They have a very white way of looking at potlatch, they use it as a means to pretend they are something they are not. Hindering your family financially is no way to increase your morality.
Source(s): Northwest coast native - Anonymous1 decade ago
this sounds suspiciously like a teenager reciting their homework assignment and expecting us to answer.
I've been to a potlatch and and many northwest natives max their credit cards to gains status by extravagantly giving things away that they haven't yet paid for.Then they declare bankruptcy and wait 7 years to do it again.