Potlatching among the Kwakuitl

…

…This means that subsistence items themselves do not really enter into the potlatching institutions (Bohannon, 1966). Potlatch is essentially dependent on the environment to ensure that the social and political spheres of the community function properly. If there was not an abundance of natural resources the potlatch would not be able to take place in the way that it does and the world would not have the opportunity to see a perfect example of reciprocal exchange.