1. A ceremonial feast practiced by Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, in which a host gives away or destroys wealth to display status and generosity.
Usage: Historically practiced by groups such as the Tlingit, Haida, and Kwakwaka'wakw peoples; The practice was banned by the Canadian government from 1885 to 1951

Examples

• The chief organized a potlach to celebrate his son's coming of age.
• At the potlach, the host distributed blankets, canoes, and other valuables to his guests.
• Potlach ceremonies reinforced social hierarchies and community bonds among Pacific Northwest tribes.
• The potlach tradition has been revived in recent decades as an important cultural practice.
• Anthropologists have studied the potlach as a unique economic and social system.