NATIVE AMERICANS Northwest Coast

Kwakiult  Lived along Pacific Ocean from Southern Alaska along the northwest coast of North America.  This area is from what is now the western Canadian coastline, into the United States.  Look at the map, this includes Washington State, Oregon, and Northern California.

Food  The climate was too wet for growing their own food.  For food, they had to hunt, fish, and gather plants such as berries, nuts, and plant roots.  They used seaweed to add salt to their food!

Hunting  The Kwakiutl hunted moose, deer, rabbits, and beaver. But the main source of meat was caribou.  Caribou are known as “reindeer”.

Fishing  Salmon was the most abundant source of fish, but they also ate seals, clams, and sea otters.  They fished in canoes made of cedar and redwoods.  Occasionally they could catch a whale with wooden harpoons

Clothing  The Kwakiutl had a certain way to dress. Mats for floors were also used as clothing. During cold, wet, weather, warm and water resistant clothing was mandatory. The most common of the dress was a garment like a cedar bark cape or cloak, or blanket. The wearer had to wrap this bit of clothing around his or her body. There were many varieties of doing this, and they were then tied or pinned shut. Cedar bark was sometimes woven together with wool of a mountain goat. Also, the tribe raised wooly dogs and used their skin for the purpose of the thick rain coats. The clothing was then rubbed in fish oil, to increase water resistance.  During the summer, the Kwakiutl wore few clothes. Men and boys wore beach cloth or nothing at all. Women wore a short skirt only. During special occasions, they would wear fancy moccasins for ceremonial dress. But, most of the time, they just went barefoot.

Clothing

Houses  The redwood trees and cedar from the forests were used to build houses called plank houses or clan houses.  members of a clan could live in these!

Totem Poles  Each clan, or family, would construct totem poles made of wood and carved with figures of animals or people. Totem poles identified families.

Potlatch Celebration  A feast held by a wealthy member of the tribe.  Clans would be invited to the feast and the host would give them a gift, such a canoe or blanket.

Compare the lives of the Kwakiutl with the Inuit.  The Kwakiutl lived a different life than the Inuit. Why?