Gift exchange, also called a ceremonial exchange, the transfer of goods or services that, although regarded as voluntary by the people involved, is part of the expected social behavior.

1. Assignment
Submitted to: SIR SALMANDAHRI
NAME: WAQAR MEHMOOD KALHORO
ROLL: 2K19/AA/43
Department of ANTHROPOLOGY&ARCHAEOLOGY
Topic: CEREMONIAL EXCHANGE Review

2. The word ceremonial is adjective of ceremony which means an oft-repeated action or series of
action performed in accordance with traditional or a set of rules, some where it is also called as
gift exchange but Gift exchange is also separately discussed as a topic. Ceremonial exchange is
called as transfer of goods or services that although regarded as voluntary by the people involved
is part of expected social behavior. Element of religiosity.
Ceremonial exchange may be distinguished from other types of exchange in several respects:
the first offering is made in a generous manner and there is no haggling between donor and
recipient; the exchange is an expression of an existing social relationship or of the establishment
of a new one that differs from impersonal market relationships; and the profit in gift exchange
may be in the sphere of social relationships and prestige rather than in material advantage.
Presentation and mutual exchange of valuable objects in ceremonial forms;
 Constitutive elements of the political Oder:
 Establishing political alliances.
 Enacting peace and post war compensation
 Ceremonial: formalized and ritual (dance, music, feast)
 Sequenced transaction
 Between individuals # among groups
In the economic sphere mutual give and take of commodities is involved and in the non-
economic sphere ceremonial exchange is defined. Ceremonial exchange appears to be one-sided
since it involves gifting away of goods in return for symbolic items. The gifts given are generally
not consumable but ritual items. The gifts given are generally not consumable but ritual items.
When there is ceremonial transfer of gifts it defines obligation to react positively in tune with
customs prevalent. Gift giving ceremonies are common in many societies and are based on
religious, political, ritual and kinship obligations.
In ceremonial exchange here we discussed two things Kula exchange and Potlatch. But first we
shortly describe Trobriand islanders where all ceremonial exchange done,

3. Trobriand Islanders “Argonauts of the Western Pacific”
The Trobriand Islands are part of several chains of islands in the Southwest Pacific. They are
best known for the Kula ring, a system of trade involving two kinds of shell ornaments .
Bronislaw Malinowski conducted a study of this culture during World War I .His Argonauts of
the Western Pacific is an anthropological classic.
Location of the Trobriand Islands
The Trobriands (in red)are located 120 miles northeast of New Guinea (upper left) It is a largely
featureless chain of islands about 12 square miles (lower left) Kiriwina is the largest; the official
name for all the islands is Kiriwina Islands.

4. Climate and Topography
The islands have the usual dry and wet (monsoon) seasons
#Kiriwina is a flat island with few areas of storage or streams
#The only sources of water are wells and ponds.
#Drought is rare, but occurs often enough to cause concern among the Trobrianders.
Cultivating Yams
Yams are the single most important food. Yams are the single most important food.
Overproduction of yams is commonplace Overproduction of yams is commonplace
Partly to compensate for any year of drought partly to compensate for any year of drought in
which no yams can growing which no yams can grow
Mainly to make a display of wealth, mainly to make a display of wealth, particularly among
the chiefs particularly among the chiefs
Slash and burn technique is used Slash and burn technique is used
Fallow period is usually three to five years.

5. Division of Labor
Men clear the brush, burn the slash and Men clear the brush, burn the slash, and cultivate the
soils. Cultivate the soils.
Women do the planting, weeding, and Women do the planting, weeding, and harvesting.
Subsistence Activities and Trade
Fishing is done among coastal peoples; often fishing is done among coastal peoples; often
trade fish for yams.
Women gather shellfish.
Imports from other islands: polished stone axes, pottery—there is neither stone nor clay in the
Trobriandsin
Specialty foods, such as sago from Dobu,
Internal trade is unorganized; external trade is directed by the chiefs.
Sex and Gender: Childbirth Beliefs
Traditionally Trobriand Islanders thought that Traditionally Trobriand Islanders thought that
pregnancy occurs pregnancy occurs
 when women’s bodies are infused with ancestral spirits when women’s bodies are infused
with ancestral spirits on Tuma, one of the islands.
This was thought to be where one goes after death.
One hypothesis is that yams contain chemicals with One hypothesis is that yams contain
chemicals with contraceptive properties (phytoestrogen)
So that the connection between sex and childbirth were So that the connection between sex
and childbirth were not made.
Sex and Gender: SexualBehaviorand Marriage and Marriage
Not surprisingly, sexual behavior is Not surprisingly, sexual behavior is promiscuous during
teenage years.
 Marriage involves no major ceremony; a couple shows up at the groom’s residence and
couple shows up at the groom’s residence and announces the fact.

6. If the man is of a chiefly lineage, the residence the residence is that his mother’s that his
brother
Otherwise they move to the man’s father’s hamlet.
Marriage and SocialOrganization
When a woman marries, large quantities of yams are given to her father- or brother-in-law.
This compensates for the land she surrenders in her own clan.
A chief with many wives gains numerous stores of yams.
In a food-insecure environment, this give him leverage over many households.
Social Organization: Household and Village (and Village (DalaDala)
Basic unit is the household.
 A matrilineal group called the dala owns the plots of land, making it a corporate entity,
The head of the dala manages this property.
The headship goes from a man to his eldest sister’s son
 This successor joins his mother’s brother at age 6 and brings his wife with him upon marriage
This is a classical example of avunculocal post marital residence.

7. The Kula Ring
The Kula ring involves two kinds of shell ornaments
White arm shells (mwali, upper left), which are exchanged for
 Red necklaces (soulava, lower left) made of a string of spondylus shells,
The partners trade a white arm shell for a red necklace red.
 As the map shows, the mwali always goes in one direction; the souvala always goes in the
other direction.
 The refined system of the exchange of goods in Papua new Guinea
 Described by Bronislaw Malinowski
 Several thousand men form 18 communities takes part in it, stretches over 1300 km using
canoe.
 Objects:
 Arm shell travels counter clockwise (Mwali)
 There are some rules and Necklaces travels clockwise (Soulava)
Regulations on which these ceremonial exchanges has done.
 Strictly regulated (Who, When, Where)
Who: men’s can do all the arrangements of ceremony
When; usually in winter seasons, mainly decided by chiefs.
 Rituals;
There are some rituals and myths like building canoe (expects bad spirits living in the
timber) cleaning.
 Objects with none’s use value
 The value of objects the more it used exchanged the more valuable.
 Enduring and mutual relationships’ between individuals as well as communities.
 Prestige and political power

8. The Kula Ring: Geography
 The Kula ring connects the various islands.
 The Mwali (white arm shells) go in a clockwise direction.
 The soulava (red necklaces) go in a counterclockwise direction.
 The journey is a treacherous one for those plying seagoing canoes.
The Kula Transaction
 Each Kula valuable has a history, and so enhances its value
 Therefore, when one partner gives the other an arm shell, the second partner must
give a necklace of equivalent value
 If the second partner cannot repay on the next visit, he give a small gift as a
promise to repay at a later date
 Upper left: two men in front of a Kula canoe
 Lower left: a Kula canoe

9. Spheres of Exchange
This is a formal relationship
A Kula valuable may not be kept by any one trader for long
Except for Dobu, all Kula transactions involve only chiefs
On Dobu, all men can participate
The Kula ring is separate from trade of ordinary goods, called gimwali
POTLATCH
The word Potlatch comes from the chinook Jargon meaning to give away
“or gift. It is practiced among Kwakiutl. A Potlatch was held on the
occasion of birth, death, adoptions, weddings and other major events. Only
rich people host a potlatch. In the potlatch the host is effect challenged a
guest chieftain to exceed his power to give away or to destroy goods.
The ceremony among certain native American people of Pacific northwest
in which gift as bestowed upon guests and personal property is destroyed in
this show of wealth and generosity a communal meet to which guests
Bering dishes to share.
Social institution of society • Distribution of property as gifts (cf. feasts =
sharing of food) • Accompanied other events that represented change in
status.
Gifts Given at Potlatch

10. Reasonfor Potlatch
Birth, marriage, death, initiation as Winter dancer, assumption of new name or seat
 Present claims or changes and have them recognized
Successful potlatch
1. Guests accept gifts
2. Guests acknowledge claims in their speeches
3. No one objects claims
4. Guests invite host to subsequent potlatches
When to Potlatch
 Potlatch embedded in three features of Kwakiutl culture:
1. Numaym system 2. Marriage system 3. Ceremonial system
Numaym System
From Kwakwala term na’mima meaning “one kind”
Basic social group of Kwakiutl; within and belonging to tribe (cf. “houses” in Medieval
Europe)
Each had its own resource sites, hereditary names, and ceremonial privileges
Also a set of ranked positions, each with its own name and certain privileges
Most positions hereditary
Marriage System
Marriages were political, carefully negotiated alliances; business deal
Organized by numaym
With marriage comes new set of names, clan ties, and privileges
Multiple marriages encouraged
Marriages were most important source of wealth for potlatch
Ceremonial System

11. Tseka = Winter Dance; winter is sacred season
Take up winter names and identify selves by role in ceremonies: # Seals = dancers # Sparrows
= managers # Uninitiated persons
Dance myth
All performances required property
 Changes to Potlatch
#European invasion
»Disease epidemics caused huge population loss
»New commerce and goods o Political domination
European conflict led to peace between tribes
Population loss and new wealth source led to new positions, “Eagles”
Shift from native made goods to European, manufactured
Ban of Potlatch
“antagonistic toward the white race” and “opposed to anything and everything advanced by the
white man” – Department of Indian Affairs officials
“I was told by the older men they might as well die as give up the Custom” – Agent R.H.
Pidcock
Banned by Canadian government in 1885 along with hamatsa dance
Potlatches hidden or disguised as holiday festivals when under pressure
Law went almost entirely unenforced; potlatch continued Continues on today
Comparison to Greek Life
No alcohol
Performances were Dionysian »Costumes and masks »Supernatural possession
Cf. potlatch ban to symposium as “anti- polis” idea
Both for social elite