Kwakiutl Potlatch

A couple of weeks ago we talked a bit about the Kwakiutl extravagant tradition of gift giving and the public display of wealth... here's an informative New York Times article from 2008 that gives an insider's perspective on the affair: Potlach article...


Here are some pictures of some Native American people, tribes, etc. from the the Pacific Northwest:

Kwakiutl MASKS - MASKS - MASKS...

Houses and Potlatch Ceremonies:

FRANZ BOAS:

When I look at these pictures and read about the ancient traditions of the Kwakiutl
When I stare into the eyes of the mysterious masks
my imagination tries to comprehend
through vivid
inner-visual inventions - what a rush!
Then I read some anthropology text written by Claude Levi Straus, or by Franz Boas... I wonder how much they understood of this amazing culture... did they believe it? did they live it? did their life depend on it?

JML
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