The word "potlatch" means "to give" and comes from a trade jargon, Chinook, formerly used along the Pacific coast of Canada. Guests witnessing the event are given gifts. The more gifts given, the higher the status achieved by the potlatch host. The potlatch ceremony marks important occasions in the lives of the Kwakwaka'wakw: the naming of children, marriage, transferring rights and privileges and mourning the dead.
from "Plotach," Living Tradition The Kwakwaka’wakw Potlatch on the Northwest Coast, https://umistapotlatch.ca/potlatch-eng.php