article

The Giveaway ceremony of Blackfoot and Plains Cree

Plains anthropologist • 25 (87) • Published In 1980 • Pages: 17-26

By: Kehoe, Alice Beck.

Abstract

This paper describes in detail the content of contemporary Indian 'giveaway' ceremonies, at which the status and achievements of various sorts of persons are publicly recognized. Kehoe argues that while current giveaways have their origin in an earlier (though post-contact) tradition, their function today is radically different from that of the past. Employing a semiotic/communications theory approach to the data, Kehoe sees the ceremonies primarily as 'signaling' Indian ethnic identity within the larger, pluralistic society.

HRAF PubDate

2019

Region

North America

Sub Region

Plains and Plateau

Document Type

article

Evaluation

Creator Type

Ethnologist

Document Rating

4: Excellent Secondary Data

5: Excellent Primary Data

Analyst

M. A. Marcus ; J. Beierle ; 1983

Field Date

1972-1975

Coverage Date

1972-1975

Coverage Place

Blackfeet Indian Reservation, northwestern Montana, United States; Blood Reserve, southwestern Alberta, Canada

Notes

By Alice B. Kehoe

Includes bibliographical references (p. 26)

LCCN

66038259

LCSH

Siksika Indians