GIVEAWAY

excerpt from THE NATIVE AMERICANS, AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY

"The allies of a chief, whether linked through economics or ritual, made regular visits to exchange gifts and reach consensus on important matters." p. 118

"In the majority of cases a person's  status depended not on what he or she possessed but rather on what he or she gave to others.  Riches mattered only as a road to generosity.  To be rich when others were in need was to be a danger to the group.  The accumulation in the hands of ...big men, or chiefs this often formed but a prelude to distribution.  The carefully gathered wealth of a Northwest Coast leader disappeared in the lavish potlaches (exchange of gifts) that astonished Europeans....Iroquoia to the Northwest Coast, Indians created social systems that induced people to redistribute wealth and to reap status." p. 238

excerpt from REASON TO BELIEVE, by Kathleen Eagle, p. 376

"Summer is powwow time in Indian country.  There's always plenty of food, games and contests, lots of music and dancing, and in the midst of it all there are 'giveaways'.  People present gifts as a public show of appreciation, honor, respect.  The giver calls a name, the recipient accepts a gift, and a simple handshake is shared."

I remember observing this giveaway custom at many powwows and also at conferences or performances. One of my Lakota friends said that almost half of his income was reserved for "giveaway", whether to friends or those who gave a service.  The salary or compensation for the service was not  counted as a gift.  The gift was from the heart, not the pocketbook.