potlatchstyle
Potlatchstyle is a term used to describe a set of performative and social practices that draw on the ceremonial logic of traditional potlatch events from the Pacific Northwest, adapting them for contemporary art, community gatherings, and performance contexts. Unlike historical potlatches, which were complex, legally and ritually governed events within Indigenous nations, potlatchstyle is often practiced in non-Indigenous or mixed settings and may be framed as homage, critique, or decolonial art. The concept appears in ethnographic and artistic discourse as researchers and artists examine gift economies, display, and social redistribution in modern communities.
Core features include reciprocal exchange, public address, ritualized feasting, performances, and symbolic redistribution of goods or
Contemporary debates center on cultural ownership and consent. Some Indigenous communities view potlatchstyle with caution, emphasizing