File:Descriptive booklet on the Alaska historical museum (1922) (14781411712).jpg

Identifier: descriptivebookl00alas (find matches)
Title: Descriptive booklet on the Alaska historical museum
Year: 1922 (1920s)
Authors: Alaska Historical Library and Museum Kashevaroff, Andrew P., b. 1863 Alaska Historical Association
Subjects:
Publisher: Juneau, Alaska
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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thor-oughly misunderstood by observers andwriters, it may be well to mention thatthe underlying principle of a potlatchis the method of acquiring rank or aname of a dead ancestor. It is an in-terest bearing investment of property .Teachers and reformers through lackof sufficient knowledge have ever con-demned this practice on the plea thatit was uncivilized and produced want.However, many potlatches were purelysocial in purpose, intended only to in-crease the reputation of the giver andto advance his standing in the com-munity. In big potlatches each person re-ceiving a present was obliged to returndouble the amount given in one to fiveyears, so that the giver really was as-sured of a pension from the date of theIotlatch. In former years there weremany very prominent and highly hon-ored chiefs, who in their youthful yearsby giving big potlatches, were able tolive in affluence and ease for the restof their lives- In other words theywere drawing big interest on theirproperty investment.
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