The Kwakwaka'wakw people traditionally held winter potlatch celebrations that served many purposes. Potlatches were large communal gatherings where people shared food and gifts. They functioned as celebrations of important events like marriages and births, as well as occasions to honor the dead, settle disputes, and pass down cultural knowledge through rituals, masks, dances, stories, and art. The potlatch incorporated aspects of parliament, library, church, museum, theater and more. Non-native people tried to suppress potlatches, either out of misunderstanding or realizing the cultural importance of the traditions.

1. What Did The Kwakwaka’wakw Do For Christmas?
Author: Kathleen Westergaard
Article:
Child: What did the Kwakwaka’wakw people do for Christmas?
Mother: Not so long ago, before the non-native people came to this land, our people spent a lot
of the year traveling around to different harvest sites. Many would leave their main villages in
the spring, summer and fall to gather and preserving many different kinds of foods like salmon,
berries and special kinds of sea weed. Then, when the weather turned cold and wet during the
dark time of the year (winter), there would be plenty to eat and share with family and
community. This was the time when they would have winter celebrations or potlatches.
Child: Were these winter celebrations like Christmas?
Mother: In many ways yes, but even bigger and more important. In ancient times and still today,
families and chiefs hold potlatches to celebrate and remember important community events.
Because the Kwakwaka’wakw did not have a written language, when something significant like
a marriage, adoption or the installation of a new chief happened, the family would want as many
people as possible to witness and remember the event. So, they would invite everyone from the
Kwakwaka’wakw nation to come, watch and remember and give gifts to the people to thank
them for coming.
Child: Wow, that sounds kind of like the big weddings that people have sometimes.
Mother: Yes, sort of. But, because the family and community may only be able to gather once a
year, they would have many different events at the same time. Babies born since the last potlatch
would be presented and given names, many marriages would be announced, if important
community members died, they would be honored and remembered and any changes in
leadership would be announced. Often, poles commemorating chiefs, elders and events would be
carved and raised as part of the potlatch. Also, if there were any problems or disputes going on
between chiefs, communities or family members, these were discussed and resolved as part of

2. the potlatch. With all of the chiefs, matriarchs and elders present, people with issues could come
forward and have their difficulties addressed by the community.
Child: That’s a lot. How did they manage all of this stuff without getting confused?
Mother: Our people developed rituals for different kinds of activities and created beautiful
wooden masks and colorful dances to explain their history and honor their beliefs. Knowledge of
Kwakwaka’wakw spirits, legends, stories, history and ancestors were artistically presented in
unique ways by each family whenever they held a potlatch.
Child: So the potlatch was their parliament, library, church, museum, art gallery, theater, register
of births, deaths and marriages and Christmas.
Mother: Yes, at all potlatches, preserved food and necessities would be distributed along with
more precious items ensuring that those who had less were still taken care of.
Child: Wow, so why did the non-native people try to stop our people from potlatching?
Mother: Either they didn’t understand our ways or they knew that without the potlatch our nation
could no longer exist.
Kathleen Westergaard’s spiritual journey has taken her home to Village Island, Haida Gwaii
and Campbell River. As the mother of James Aul Sewid’s great grand-children, she has had the
privilege of living and learning in the Kwakwaka’wakw culture for many years and is looking
forward to many more.
Tags: ceremony, first nations, kathleen westergaard, Kwakwaka’wakw, potlatch, tradition
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