Potlatch at Gitsegukla : William Beynon's 1945 field notebooks

William Beynon had a long career documenting the history and customs of the Tsmimshian, Nisga'a and Gitksan indigenous Canadian tribes. This text brings together his field notebooks written during the raising of five totem poles at Gitsegukla in 1945. Contains 200 pages from Beynon's four-notebook account of the five days of potlatches and totem pole raisings he attended at the Gitksan village of Gitsegulka in 1945. Long recognized as one of the most significant written records of Northwest coast potlatching, his account includes detailed and often verbatim information about the events he witnessed, along with his sketches of costumes and pole-raising apparatus. The editors have added photographs, a comprehensive introduction, a timeline of key events in Gitksan history, and several appendices listing names, places, and terms. Canadian card order C99-911250-3. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) William Beynon's Notebooks Are Among The Most Significant Written Records Of Northwest Coast Potlatching And Are An Unsurpassed Resource Documenting These Activities Among The Gitksan. This Rare, First-hand, Ethnographic Account Of A Potlatch Reveals The Wonderful Complexities Of The Events The Took Place In Gitsegukla In 1945--jacket. Key Events In The Gitksan Encounter With The Colonial World / James A. Macdonald And Jennifer Joseph. Edited And With An Introduction By Margaret Anderson And Marjorie Halpin. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "William Beynon's notebooks are among the most significant written records of Northwest coast potlatching and are an unsurpassed resource documenting these activities among the Gitksan. This rare, first-hand, ethnographic account of a potlatch reveals the wonderful complexities of the events the took place in Gitsegukla in 1945"--BOOK JACKET. Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved This rare, first-hand, ethnographic account of a potlatch from Tsimshian scholar William Benyon reveals the wonderful complexities of the events that took place in Gitsegukla in 1945.