Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-02-28
A POTLATCH In ALASKA.
CURIOUS FESTIVAL OBSERVED BY
THE THLINKETs.


GIver In Complete Poverty.
a "potlatch" is social institution pc
culiar to the natives along the North
Pacific coast. The word means a 'big
feast" but that does not signify all that
the same words do to the white races.
Blankets are the signs of wealth among
these people. To have so many blankets
is among them to be Just so rich. These
blankets are stored up and boarded Just
as the miser boards his gold, but for a
totally different purpose. The idea is to
have big ''potlatch" some time. Often
this takes place when the owner of the
blankets gets past middle life and feels
that the time has come when he can af-
ford to make this social display. Again
they are laid up and treasured so that
big "potlatch" may be held after the
owner is dead.
The Thlinket village just north of and
adjoining Sitka now has about 800 win
ter inhabitants. those who are out fish
ing and working at the canneries all sum-
mer having come in to stay until work
begins again in summer. Though they
have been brought under some civilizing
influences they are very reluctantly sur
rendering their native customs. Among
those to which they still cling is the Gus
tom of the "potlatch.
ALASKAN PoLYGAMY.
At l o'clock cannon shot was heard
ss-flrs in hn villa 60 II
Of many of the Americans here. In
quiry disclosed the fact that one of the
head men of the village had just died,
and that the cannon shot from an old
Russian carronade was to announce the
death. When the whites first began to
make inroads among these natives polyg-
amy and slavery were settled institutions
among them. Both still exist to some
extent at points of the greatest distance
from civilizing influence. The Russian
church in Alaska has steadily pur-
sued the policy of breaking up
polygamy among the natives ever
since its missionaries began their
work more than a century ago. The
headman of the Sitka village was
brought within the fold of that church,
but attempted for long time to conceal
the fact that he was indulging in a plu-
rality of wives. When off at distant
fishing and canning stations he could do
this with impunity, and with little or no
danger that any of his people would ex-
pose him. They will not testify against
each other if it can be helped. When he
came into the ranch or village last fall
he was detected in this mode of living,
and, in manner, coerced into surren-
dering his youngest and most attractive
wife. He had been married to the first
one United States fashion," and as the
Russian church does not recognize di-
vorce he could not put her away in favor
of the younger one.
The result of this was that this stolid,
taciturn Indian, whose appearance and
general conduct would indicate that not
a particle of sentiment entered into his
character, actually pined away and died
OF grief. Nothing that his people could
do would stimulate him to any exertion.
None of the Establishments and caresses
Of his first wife, and she was kind to
him, could arouse him from his stupor
of grief, and this stout and lusty fisher
man, who had braved hundreds of fierce
storms in his cedar canoe, died actually
of broken heart.
THE PoTLATCH.
Now comes the ''potlatch." He had
been laying up blankets against the day
of a royal, roistering ''potlatch" in his
lifetime. A score of natives visited the
traders store and bought nearly a ton
of stuff for the feast. Canned goods,
boxes of crackers by the dozen, and
everything that could be obtained to eat
were hauled over by them to the village
on trucks to be consumed in the pot
LATCH which will last for several
days and nights. A ''potlatch" without
something strong to drink is q compara-
lively tame affair. The sale of whisky
to these people is carefully guarded
against, and when detected, which is
quite often, severely punished. They
buy large quantities of molasses, how
ever, and from this surreptitiously distin
an intoxicating drink called "hooche-
noo," with which they enliven their
"potlatches."
The first night of this one has Just
passed. and the bowling and dancing
which went OH in the large house of the
dead headman showed that considerable
"boochenoo" had in some way been pro-
vided fer the occasion. The house has
no chimney, and the smoke from the
fire, built in the center of the floor, es-
capes through hole in the roof. The
walls glisten with black SCOT. The dance
has no figures, but is simply cadenced
step in circle around the fire, the time
being given on sort of tomtom or tam
BOURNE. When each dancer gets tired,
he squats down anywhere to eat and rest.
So it goes on all night long, and day in
and day out, until the supplies are all
gone, and the blankets all parted with to
buy the means of keeping up the pot
latch"
The duration of the awake" depends
upon the supply of blankets The pot
latches" invariably end in the impover-
ishment of those who give them. A ma
tive who gives ''potlatch" and retains
any of his property afterwards is dis
graced. The widow, in this particular
case, has entered eagerly into the festivi-
ties. and yet realizes that it will take the
last blanket before it is all over.
Some idea may be formed of the way