Fishing, hunting, and collecting shellfish formed the basis of Kwakwaka'wakw subsistence in the past and remain important resources, although only a few families continue to be able to make a solid living from commercial fishing. Potlatches, with their prominent dance and song performances, were so central to Kwakwaka'wakw life that the Canadian government outlawed the practice in 1884. This reflected, in part, a concern that involvement in these “heathen” practices inhibited the “Indians” from accepting the grace of Christianity. Equally important, Alert Bay was the site of a major cannery operation. Potlatches kept local people occupied for months at a time when the new regional commercial canned salmon industry was just taking off and experiencing major labor shortages. The ‘Namgis Band was relocated to Alert Bay from their traditional use areas and residence sites nearby Cormorant Island and were joined by some members of other Kwakwaka'wakw bands. These peoples were moved in an effort to provide much needed labor for the cannery, which became the focal point of a new, permanent Alert Bay community along with several regional Canadian government offices.

 

The potlatch ban allowed for the legal confiscation of dancers’ outfits, masks, and other dance regalia. The dancers, other potlatch participants, and even attendees could be fined and/or jailed. Potlatches and dancing continued out of sight of Canadian officials and in remote locations. But the Kwakwaka'wakwliving in Alert Bay, and on nearby islands or the adjacent mainland, were more easily monitored and constrained. Although the ban was never formally rescinded, it no longer appeared in the Canadian consti-tution after 1951, and potlatches soon began occurring in public again. Several local residents played a key role in initiating the processes for repa-triating potlatch paraphernalia, which had been disbursed across Canada and around the world in art markets, museums, and private collections. The U’mista Cultural Centre developed as a repository for these items; it continues these repatriation efforts today and is organizing as a center for research on regional culture history and the Kwak’wala language.

 

The word potlatch comes from a Chinook jargon term that means to give. The cultural contexts for potlatches among Northwest Coast Indians varied, but the Kwakwaka'wakw were known for particularly elaborate displays. Academic explanations for this practice include an emphasis on the psychological, with its elaboration and competitiveness among the Kwakwaka'wakw suppos-edly reflecting group personality characteristics; the potlatch as the basis of a credit-based economic system; and the potlatch as an essential method of environmental resource distribution. Macnair succinctly captures how the Kwakwaka' wakw potlatch was enmeshed with every aspect of their culture.

 

The potlatch was society: it was all-inclusive, encompassing things economic, political, social, religious, ritualistic, and ceremonial. Simply stated, a potlatch involved a payment of goods and food to assembled guests gathered to witness a Host’s claim to ancestral rights or hereditary position. The transfer of rights from one generation to the next, the acquisition of privileges through arranged marriage, or the assumption of a new position could only be concluded through such public events. Thus, the guests, or witnesses, were the ultimate arbitrators; by accepting gifts, they validated the claims of their host and confirmed his status. . . . Certain jealously guarded privileges confirmed by potlatching were evident at all times; others were revealed only in ceremonial contexts.