Most people remember Doug's father, Dan Cranmer, for a potlatch he held on Christmas Day, 1921. At this time, potlatches were illegal. In February 1922, over fifty people who had attended Dan Cranmer's potlatch were tried and then sent down to Vancouver to be jailed.
Forty-nine people were convicted: twenty-two people were arrested and sentenced to two months in prison, four people were sentenced to six months, and twenty-three were given suspended sentences after they agreed to sign affirmations that they would stop potlatching, and turn in their ceremonial regalia.
The confiscated regalia from this potlatch was sent to many places including the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Hull, the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, and the New York Heye Foundation (Cole and Chaikin 1990).
