potlatch

[James A. Landau]

Erna Gunther, translator _The Tlingit Indians_  Seattle: University of
Washington Press, 1956.  This is a translation of Aurel Krause _Der
Tlinkit-Indianer_ Jena: 1885.  The English translation appeared as Monograph
26 of the American Ethnological Society.

There are several descriptions of massive Tlingit gift-giving, particularly
in chapter 8's discussion of cremation customs.  "The cremation was followed
by a large potlach (the distribution of gifts).  The costs of the cremation
ran to about fifty to seventy dollars.  At the potlatch wollen blankets to a
value of five hudnred dollars were torn and distrubted by relatives."  This
cremation is stated to be "described in a disptach to the New York Herald of
April 16, 1881".

Also chapter 9 reads "the relatives of the deceased slaughter one or two
slaves to serve the deceased in the next world, these, however, not being
taken not from the slaves of the deceased, but from their own."  Footnote 4
to chapter 9 adds "According to Veniaminof [1840], generally only slaves who
were sick and weak were designated for sacrifice.  If they managed to escape,
and some chiefs made it possible for them, they could return quietly after
the ceremony without being punished for their flight".

When I was in Alaska in 1974, one of my tour guides said that after the
American takeover of Alaska, the Tlingits held "the potlatch to end all
potlatches" at which all Tlingit slaves were freed.  Apparently in honor of
this, a Tlingit carved a totem pole in the shape of Abraham Lincoln (I saw a
photo of this totem pole.)

Linguistic note:  "totem pole" appears to be a misnomer, having nothing to do
with totems.  "Totem" is an Algonquin word referring to the sacred animal
associated with each clan etc., or perhaps it would be better to say the
sacred animal each clan was associated with.  The point is, there is a
mystical relationship of some sort between the users of a totem and the
animal that serves as the totem.

Apparently people misinterpreted totem poles as depicting totems.  They do
not.  They are simply the Pacific Northwest native equivalent of billboards,
identiying the owner of the pole, boasting, or telling a story.  OED gives
1891 for "totem post" and 1987 for "totem pole", but 1776 for English usage
of Algonquin "totem", with figurative usage of "totem"---In England, not the
New World---in 1890 and 1893.

                             - Jim Landau

PS to Barry Popik: when I was at Mount Denali, a Park Ranger showed us what
the natives fed their sled dogs, namely whole smoked salmons.  They are very
icky-looking things.  The Ranger held one up and asked if anyone wanted to
taste it.  Everybody except me proceeded to look disgusted at the idea.  I
however said, "Sure, if you give me a bagel to go with it."  Spoiled the
Ranger's entire day.