The People of the Plateau - Diana N,Taylor N, Anthony V.

Habitat  Even though the plateau region of Canada was one of the smaller areas, it was still very diverse in terms of geography  The territory of the Plateau people also included expanses of forests, and many natural waterways (rivers and lakes).  Boreal forests, with mostly coniferous trees, dominated the landscape of the Plateau region.  Some of the largest and most important lakes in the region were located in the Okanagan valley.  -diana

Homes : The people of the Plateau region were semi- nomadic, meaning they moved around in search of food. They lived in one of three shelters, depending on the season: a pit house, a tipi, or a tule-mat lodge. Pit Houses A pit house was an ideal structure for cold winter and a dry climate. A hole was left on the roof so a notched log was placed at the top of the hole, which was a door. Pit houses were between 6 & 8 metres across. -diana

Subsistence : Salmon were caught like spring, sockeye, humpback salmon They hunted small animals for fur and food. They hunted coyote, fox, raccoon, porcupine, marten, weasel, beaver, marmot, hare. They gathered berries, roots and bulbs for medicine. To preserve them they dried them. - anthony

Clothing : Men clothing: leggings made from animal hide or grasses shirts made from animal skins breechcloths and moccasins Women clothing: skirts or dresses dresses were decorated with beadwork Moccasins - taylor

Clothing: Winter clothing: clothing that kept them warm thicker animal skins and animal furs thicker leather pants Head dresses: represent a persons status within the community used for ceremonies - taylor

Tools & Weapons : bows and arrows root-digging stick awl nets traps weirs spears hooks and lines Arrows head are made from bones It took a women all winter to make a net Later on, in a trade got guns from the European - taylor

Social Organization and Kinship: There were rankings and privileges, chiefs and nobles had the right to high ranking family names. The chiefs and nobles also controlled access to resource sites like, the salmon chief was in charge of the fishing in the village. Clans had people who shared a name of descent from a common ancestor, a clan had their own territory, ritual dances, and songs - anthony

Leadership and Responsibilities: Each village had 1 or several leaders/chiefs Each leader had a different role like hunting, warfare, and fishing. Men had most power in decision making Some areas gave all the power to elders because they were consider wiser - taylor

Leadership and Responsibilities: Men’s Responsibilities decision making hunting trapping fishing making tools warfare Women’s Responsibilities preparing food harvesting plants (ex. berries) caring for children and their home make clothing - taylor

Religious : The people thought that all things including living and non living things had spirits, some were bad, some where good. These spirits were everywhere. Strong spiritual connection with nature and animals. Shamans were the religious leaders in the Plateau culture, they were the most important religious leaders. They had special powers to heal sick people, control the hunting, and tell the future, they believed that shamans can do this by communicating with the spiritual world. Myths and stories of the Plateau people: –the creator (coyote) was supposed to be responsible for bringing the salmon up the river every spring and autumn. They were also supposed to transform people into their present form. - diana and anthony

Cultural Artifacts: Rock paintings, or pictographs, were common in the southern part of British Columbia. These paintings were usually of human or animal forms, or spiritual figures The paint was made out of red ochre pigments mixed with animal oil or fish eggs. Women in the Plateau region were skilled weavers. They wove baskets, blankets, mats, and clothing using goat's wool and bark. – Baskets were used for carrying goods, storage, and cooking. They were made out of birch bark, split roots -diana.

Bibliography: 1) _groups/fp_plateau2.htmlhttp://firstpeoplesofcanada.com/fp _groups/fp_plateau2.html Copy right :Goldi Productions Ltd ) Crossroads Author : Michael Cranny Copy right :1998 by Pearson Education Canada Inc., Toronto, Canada