Potlatch as pedagogy [electronic resource] : learning through ceremony / by Sara Florence Davidson & Robert Davidson.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781553797746 (electronic bk.)
- ISBN: 1553797744 (electronic bk.)
- Publisher: Winnipeg, Manitoba : Portage & Main Press, 2018.
Content descriptions
Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references. |
Search for related items by subject
Subject: | Haida Indians > Education > British Columbia. Haida Indians > British Columbia > Rites and ceremonies. Potlatch > British Columbia. |
Other Formats and Editions
Electronic resources
- Firebrand Technologies
In 1884, the Canadian government enacted a ban on the potlatch, the foundational ceremony of the Haida people. The tradition, which determined social structure, transmitted cultural knowledge, and redistributed wealth, was seen as a cultural impediment to the governmentâs aim of assimilation.
The tradition did not die, however; the knowledge of the ceremony was kept alive by the Elders through other events until the ban was lifted. In 1969, a potlatch was held. The occasion: the raising of a totem pole carved by Robert Davidson, the first the community had seen in close to 80 years. From then on, the community publicly reclaimed, from the Elders who remained to share it, the knowledge that has almost been lost.
Sara Florence Davidson, Robertâs daughter, would become an educator. Over the course of her own education, she came to see how the traditions of the Haida practiced by her fatherâholistic, built on relationships, practical, and continuousâcould be integrated into contemporary educational practices. From this realization came the roots for this book.
- Firebrand Technologies
Banned for 67 years by the Canadian government, the potlatch is the foundational ceremony of the Haida people. Inspired by these traditions, educator Sara Florence Davidson and renowned artist Robert Davidson present a model for learning that is holistic, relational, practical, and continuous.