Potlatch as Pedagogy: Learning Through Ceremony

by Sara Florence Davidson, Robert Davidson

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 government’s 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, Robert’s 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 father—holistic, built on relationships, practical, and continuous—could be integrated into contemporary educational practices. From this realization came the roots for this book.
 

Genres: Indigenous, Nonfiction, Education, Canada, School, Professional Development, Spirituality

96 pages, Paperback

Published October 12, 2018

Reviews

[Geoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was expecting more of a technical, instructional book, but instead this was a really interesting chronicle of the journey of the author's father in rebuilding and creating First Nation ceremonies, dances, and rituals. The discussion of how he approached not only the bringing back of the rituals but also the consensus and approval of the community and the elders was fascinating. The section on the first raising of a totem pole in decades was especially fascinating.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this very short book, is part of my ongoing doctoral research on Indigenous education. The authors connected traditions of their Haida Gwaii community, in northern British Columbia, with learning and teaching from traditional events and ceremonies. Beautifully told.

[Trina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting and informative book. I appreciate the 9 teachings and think I may make up a document that shows how they complement the FPPL.

[Juanita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Potlatch as Pedagogy is like being in the centre of an awe-inspiring dance of creation.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sara Florence Davidson has written this book with her father, Robert Davidson, and his contribution to revitalizing Indigenous culture through art and potlatching. I was in Masset shortly after Robert Davidson raised the pole was raised and cultural pride was re-ignited. An inspirational and hopeful book.

[Andreanne Chagnon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoughtful and interesting. I read this book with other teachers at my school. Can't wait for the discussions we'll have later. This book opened my eyes to a whole lot. Things I've intuitively been meaning to integrate to my teaching practice put into words. Things that went down, state sponsored, that I didn't know about. Things we can do to weave more Indigenous conscious techniques, practices, and knowledge into mainstream schools. I'm excited for this new lens.

[Karen]

We talk a lot in Canadian advanced education about different ways of knowing, but what does that really mean? This book was a good exploration and explanation for me, diving into the history of Canada’s disenfranchisement of First Nations people, and into the ways that Robert Davidson and others consciously set about repairing the harm and restoring what was almost lost.

[kim child of the god of thunder · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to review such a book? On the one hand, it’s a dissertation. On another, it’s a love letter to the authors’ families and the Haida people.
A grave demonstration of the almost complete cultural genocide of Haida people, but at the same time an insight into the ways ancestral knowledge carried forward, and the ways young Indigenous people can build new traditions that are needed, based on the ways of knowing and the ways of respecting one another.
I want to hug this author as thanks for sharing her insights and being vulnerable with them.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have beeen meaning to read this book for so long. Sara’s book is a beautiful tribute to her father and to the deep and powerful ways that learning occurs. Thank you to the just in time generation for being the bridge to precontact knowledge. This is a book I will need to revisit to deepen my own understanding of how to decolonize the education system.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I was going to say this gets three stars because I expected it to be more of an educator's guide than a story, but +1 star because it was a very interesting story...

But then I reflected on the indigenous way of teaching through story and realized it probably is an educators guide for those who know how to listen for that. I'm obviously not there yet but I see the outlines.

So if you are interested in hearing about how one of Canada's First Nations regained and reclaimed ceremonies after the genocide that was the boarding schools system, this book will satisfy. If you are able to see the strategies within the story this can help you think about leveling up your practice as an educator.

[Laurel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic must read for educators! This book will be well enjoyed by anyone interested in deepening their understanding of coastal Indigenous peoples and the significance of ceremony, honouring, sharing and continuing traditions through generations.

[Lindsay Carnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I listened to it, but might get a paper version to more easily reference it in the future.

Some beautiful concepts and ideas. My favourite bit was talking about strings to the past becoming a rope when people come together and share their knowledge.

[Cayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid, short little read for all my teacher friends!

[Tom Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the insights in to the Haida culture. Great discussions were had as part of a professional development meeting at work, with this as the stimulus.

[Amal Abdullah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, uplifting, and insightful lesson on revitalization, tradition, and continuity.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

An easy read but very impactful. If you are in education, read it!

[Jenn Jellema · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read and one that educators might find useful.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

A look at potlatch and other cultural forms of teaching and indigenous knowledge transfer.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this for work because I pulled together a discussion guide for our book club kit. Granted I didn’t have to read the whole thing, but I did anyway. It has an interesting structure in the sense that there are two lists. And in between is the story of different potlatches and ceremonies her father had been involved in. I loved that part, the depiction of reclaiming culture as a community. It’s a thin book but it felt meaty in the sense that it makes you think about things like what traditions are you carrying forward and how have you learned your current skillsets. It made me get interested in learning some phrases in my mother’s dialect.