New children's book explores history of Canada's potlatch ban

Santana Dreaver · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 21, 2025 9:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

Growing up, Samantha Beynon struggled with speechmaking and writing. 

She overcame those challenges, later earning a assemblage grade and becoming a teacher. It was portion spending clip successful the classroom she noticed a deficiency of program for children to larn astir Indigenous traditions, civilization and history. 

Now a Nisga'a pedagogue and author, Beynon is trying to capable that gap, and has just released a caller children's book, Celebrating Potlatches, all astir the important ceremonies that were banned by the Canadian authorities for implicit 65 years. 

Potlatches are circumstantial to Indigenous communities connected the westbound coast, wherever nations stitchery successful song, creation and supplication to commemorate important beingness events, specified arsenic a commencement oregon marriage.

"Potlatches are astir generosity and leadership," Beynon told CBC's Daybreak North. "It's a clip to stock food, stories, songs, dances and gifts. It's however we honour our guests, amusement respect and however we support our traditions strong."  

The prohibition connected potlatches was legislated nether an 1884 amendment to the 1876 Indian Act by the Canadian government, which came into effect successful 1885, according to the Canadian Encyclopedia. 

The legislation made it a transgression offence for anyone to enactment successful a potlatch — and if they were caught doing so, they ran the hazard of being arrested. 

The potlatch prohibition was reversed erstwhile the Indian Act was revised successful 1951. 

Beynon said contempt the ban, First Nations successful B.C. kept the contented alive, hosting potlatch ceremonies successful secret. 

The representation publication is made for young children, aiming to marque a dense taxable easier to digest, said Beynon. 

"I judge successful the powerfulness of stories and I'm excited to support sharing them with the adjacent generation," she said.

The publication is inspired by Beynon's late great-grandfather, William Beynon, who was a Ts'msyen and Nisga'a hereditary main and oral historian. 

Beynon said her great-grandfather helped sphere the culture of the Ts'msyen and Nisga'a peoples by moving with elders and researchers to compile over 3,000 pages of stories, documenting the languages and accepted ceremonies.

"His enactment helped support our civilization during a clip erstwhile it was nether attack. Today his records inactive usher connection revitalization, pact enactment and taste education."

Beynon said that arsenic Indigenous people continue to reclaim their culture, potlatches tin lone turn stronger.

"Our aboriginal generations are going to beryllium highly proud." 

The authoritative publication motorboat of Celebrating Potlatches is scheduled for Saturday, June 21, connected National Indigenous People's Day, astatine the Royal B.C. Museum successful Victoria.