Peoples of the Northwest Coast By: Christina Sato, Jenna Paige Desjarlais & Quinn Malcolm

Food Had to constantly move during different seasons to get a variety of food. During winter they would eat shellfish. During early summer people eat salmon, birds and, early ripening plants. During late autumn people collected and eat the ripening potato. They also hunted meat during the summer and early autumn. Were hunter-gatherers and had plenty food available to them.

Clothes Men, women, and children wore very little clothing, except for when it was cold. Clothing was mostly made out of soften cedar wood or bark, animal leather, and wool. Typically wore clothes that followed their class system. People in the higher class wore fancier clothes and more jewelry. Chiefs that were the highest class wore a chilkat blanket, dance apron, leggings and moccasins.

Shelter Houses were called Longhouses. Houses were made from cedar They were extremely large, and lasted for years. Houses had a support poles, which had a image important to the clan that occupied it.

Transportation The Northwest Coast people traveled by canoe. Used by individuals – fishing and visiting near villages. The canoes were made from a single cedar log, and were extremely seaworthy. Can hold between 2 – 50 people, and 1,000 pounds of cargo.

Social Organization Deeply concerned with inherited ranking and privilege First are the chiefs and nobles, who controlled resource access Next are commoners, who worked to develop the village’s wealth Lastly are the slaves, who were bought and sold at potlatches, and sometimes killed.

Contact with Other Groups Status was vey important to the people of the North West Coast. They would invite others to potlatches to show off their belongings and dancing. They have to adjust to the weather so they would move to other villages for food (e.g squamish people would go south). The other villages cooperated which each other, knowing the adaptations.

Religion Customs, beliefs, and history were passed down mainly through stories song and dance. Stories about why certain things occurred. Believed in supernatural beings and that spirits were connected to all living things. The only thing that was linking them to the spiritual world was the “Shamans” or “Medicine men” (Doctors).

Kinship People belonged to several different villages / nations. Food collection sites belonged to people from specific villages or nations. Salish people were able to marry outside of your village. Bilateral Kinship also gave you the choice if you want to spend your winter in the village of relatives

Map of Northwest Coast The land was very elevated because of the high mountains The climate is very moist and mild; summers are cooler and winters are above freezing It is one of the wettest areas, coming from the Pacific ocean Vegetation could vary from luscious trees to dry valleys.

Thank You Bibliography Murray, Cam, and Michael William Cranny. Crossroads: A Meeting of Nations. Scarborough, Ont.: Prentice Hall Ginn Canada, 2000. Print. "The Northwest Coastal People - Religion / Ceremonies / Art / Clothing."The Northwest Coastal People - Religion / Ceremonies / Art / Clothing. Web. 17 Dec. 2015. Thank You