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HANNAMROZEK-GRANIECZNY
UniversityofSilesia
DeconstructingColonialMisconceptions
PotlatchCeremonies
ofKwakwaka’wakwsFirstNations
inLifeWritingandFictionalDiscourses
ABSTRACT:Forcenturies,Westernculture(mis)representedandappropriatedtheFirstNations.
Aboriginalpeopleswereregardedeitherasprimitive,animal-likesavages,ortheywereromanti-
cisedanderoticisedinordertojustifytheCanadianpolicyofcivilisationandassimilationofthe
nativesintothemonolithic“BritainoftheNorth.”Eventhoughsincethetimeofthesigningof
theMulticulturalismAct,theconceptofCanadianidentityhasbeenundergoingmajorchanges
embracingracialandculturalminorities,nativepeoplestillhavetofightforrecognitionand
theirrightfulplaceintheCanadiandiscourses.Theproblemofmisrepresentationofindigenous
cultureshasnotbeeneradicated.Thisarticlefocusesontheanalysisofthepotlatchceremonies
oftheKwakwaka’wakws.Usingthepostcolonialperspectiveandmethodology,itexploresboth
thepastandthecontemporarycultureofpotlatches.Italsoexaminesthecolonialmisconceptions
ofpotlatchceremoniesandthecurrentrevivaloftheKwakiutlpotlatching.Thispostcolonial
analysisshowsthesubversionofthecolonial“truths”andlooksattherevivalofKwakiutlculture
astheaboriginalwayofre-readingandre-writingofCanadianhistory,deconstructingconserva-
tivenationalmythologiesandfightingforrecognitionbytheCanadiandiscourse.Thefollowing
analysisalsorevealschangingattitudestowardKwakwaka’wakws’potlatchesandtheevolution
ofopinionsregardingthisceremony.Thediscussionisbasedmainlyonselectedpublishedof-
ficialgovernmentdocuments,books,lifewritingandinformationobtainedfromapersonalinter-
viewgatheredbytheauthorduringherresearchtriptoBritishColumbiainMarch2010(Student
MobilitygrantobtainedbytheCanadianStudiesCentre,UniversityofSilesia).
KEYWORDS:thepotlatch,Kwakwaka’wakws,Kwakiutls,FirstNations.
TheCanadianNorthwestCoastisinhabitedbyvariousaboriginalpeoples.
AmongthemaretheTsimshian,theTlingit,theHaida,theNootka,theBella
CoolaandtheKwakiutl,moreproperlytermedKwakwaka’wakws.Allthese
aboriginalpeoplesholdpotlatches;however,theceremonyisnotuniformonthe
