A potlatch was essentially a gift-giving feast common in the pacific northwest before a ban by the Canadian government made the practice illegal.
Hearing this word in Enlightment Now by Steven Pinker immediately transported me back to a book I read when I was younger. It was about one man who went to live among, and learned to appreciate, the culture of the indigenous people. I remember he traveled there by boat and lived close to the river but other than that I don’t remember any other details. The name of the book escapes me and I spent quite a while searching for the title. I know that it was required reading in elementary/middle school. If anyone has any idea about which book this could be please let me know!
