Question

After European contact, Kwakiutl potlatches became increasingly extravagant and even began to involve the destruction of items. Reasons for this change included:

Answer 1

The increasing extravagance and destruction of items in Kwakiutl potlatches after European contact was driven by a desire to demonstrate wealth and power, competitive feasting among neighboring communities, and a focus on social status and importance. It was a way for host chiefs to showcase their wealth, challenge other chiefs to outdo them, and establish their rank.

Step-by-step explanation:

The reasons for the increasing extravagance and destruction of items in Kwakiutl potlatches after European contact included:

1. To demonstrate wealth and power:
2. The host chiefs wanted to showcase their wealth and power by presenting an abundance of gifts to the guest chief.
3. By destroying some of these items, they showcased their ability to afford such extravagance.
4. Competitive feasting:
5. The potlatch feasts became a way for neighboring communities to establish and reinforce their power by outdoing each other with more lavish feasts and greater troves of gifts.
6. Social status and importance:
7. A successful potlatch could confer greater status on the host, demonstrating their rank and societal status.
8. Wealth in the Pacific Northwest was determined by how much individuals shared and gave away, not by how much wealth they possessed.