The Kwakiutl: Indians of British Columbia

An excellent portrayal of the life and values of a Kwakiutl group! Gilford Island, home to a contemporary Kwakiutl community in British Columbia, is the setting of this case study. This village, representative of other Kwakiutl communities, is comprised of a fishing people who have retained much of their age-old social and cultural identity as an Indian population. The authors both describe the distinctive quality of Kwakiutl life as observed on Gilford Island and outline some of the major characteristics of the traditional Kwakiutl social system including the rank-class structure, potlatches, and the impressive winter ceremonial.