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Potlatch & Kula Ring
Anthro Midterm
Question | Answer |
---|---|
What is a potlatch | A gift giving contest. It is competitive feasting. |
Who holds potlatches? | NW coast Indians in British Colombia, Washington state, Alaska |
Who is the only person that can hold a potlatch? | The chief of the tribe. |
What season are potlatches held during? | Winter |
Who does the tribe typically invite to potlatches? | An entire tribe/village. |
What kind of subsistence patterns do these indians have? We do know that pattern usually has a simple division of labor but why is this one complex instead? | They are hunter gatherers. They have a complex division as opposed to simple division (what hunter gatherers usually have) because they have surpluses. |
How many people in a single village could be invited to a potlatch? | 100-200 people |
Describe the eating area. | Guests enter trough a small door and are greeted by a glorious eating area with paintings, engravings, etc. It's a form of boasting. |
What is the order of events in a potlatch typically like? | There is music, ceremonies, eating, and gift giving. |
How is a potlatch like a competition? | The tribe that is invited must hold their own potlatch the following year and invite the tribe that invited them and have a BIGGER party and give even more gifts than they received. Crush competition with generosity. |
How can you humiliate the gift receiver during a potlatch? | Give them SOOO many gifts that they have to make more than 1 trip to transport all the gifts to their village. |
What kind of economic exchange is this? | Redistribution as well as balanced reciprocity. |
What does the chief who hosts the most potlatches get? | The prestigious title and honor. |
What happens when someone can't outdo your potlatch the following year because of insufficient resources? | They become a part of your tribe/village now. You unit with them. |
Etically, what is the point of potlatches? | To even/level things out between tribes and make sure all are fed. |
What is a kula ring? | A regular trading method accompanied with a ceremonial trading method. |
Where is the kula ring located? | The Trobrian Islands in Southern |
What type of economic exchange is involved with the kula ring? | Balanced reciprocity. |
What type of subsistence pattern is present in the Trobrian islands where the kula ring is located? | Horticulture |
How can negative reciprocity come about in the kula ring? | Since there is balanced reciprocity, there is always a chance for negative reciprocity. You only see the people you trade with every couple years so it's easy to fool them. |
How does the kula ring method prevent negative reciprocity? | It builds trust and respect between members. When they trade the sacred little bracelets or necklaces, they value it. Act as trading partners. |
Why are the necklaces so important in a kula ring? | They each have their own story that gets passed around for 100s of years. They are a form of immortality. |
What maintains order in the kula ring? | These necklaces that are passed around. There is no need for laws or police because people remain loyal and rational with their trusted trading partners. |