Hamatsa: The Enigma of Cannibalism on the Pacific Northwest Coast

James McDowell, a historian, has written a comprehensive study of cannibalism on the Pacific Northwest Coast, using an interdisciplinary, cross-cultural approach. He shows how the accounts of man-eating incidents were coloured by a cannibal complex among Western observers and reinterprets cannibalism as practised in the secret Hamatsa ceremony. McDowell demonstrates the spiritual profundity of the ceremony and its intended purpose in coping with the dark forces of the world.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 300 pages
Publication date: 01 June 2022
Publisher: Ronsdale Press

For over two centuries, the topic of cannibalism on the Pacific Northwest Coast has sparked intense debate, deterring many scholars from participating. However, historian Jim McDowell has undertaken a comprehensive study of this phenomenon, employing an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural approach. Beginning with the numerous alleged man-eating incidents documented by European and American explorers and traders who visited Nootka Sound between 1744 and 1884, McDowell delves into how these accounts were influenced by a cannibal complex among the Western observers. He then revisits the groundbreaking work of Franz Boas and other anthropologists, reinterpreting cannibalism as it was practiced in the secret Hamatsa ceremony, a ritual cannibalism designed to strengthen and perpetuate Native communities. In this comprehensive discussion, McDowell presents the most thorough examination of the Hamatsa to date, showcasing the spiritual depth of the ceremony and its intended purpose in navigating the dark forces of the world. Contrary to the early explorers' disgust with the gustatory cannibalism they believed they were witnessing, McDowell reveals that the ritual cannibalism of the Hamatsa holds valuable lessons for the West in its current spiritual uncertainty and confusion.

Weight: 488g
Dimension: 229 x 154 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780921870470