1. PEOPLE OF THE NORTHWEST COAST BY: MICHAEL MATHESON

2. MAP OF THE NORTHWEST COAST

3. TOPOGRAPHY, VEGETATION AND CLIMATE What is the climate of the area? Temperatures are moderate. The west coast has a maritime climate Parts of it are among the wettest regions on Earth The January mean is often above freezing What is the vegetation of the area? Vegetation varies from one side of a mountain to the other Evergreens, western hemlock, and western red cedars grow on What is the topography of the area? There are new mountains not yet worn down by erosion There are many different mountain regions in this area

4. SUBSISTENCE What type of food did they eat? Pacific salmon Pacific smelt Crab Humpback whale Elk Seals Sea otters Black-tailed deer Mountain goat How did they obtain food? Fishing (with Haida fishlines, Haida halibut hook, nets, harpoons) Gathering Hunting (with seal clubs, sledgehammer, bows, arrows, harpoons)

5. CLOTHING What type of clothing did they wear? They wore very little clothing, except in the cold months During the warm months men often were naked and women only wore bark shirts During rainy times clothing was used more for blocking the rain than for keeping them warm The people often wore bark capes and spruce hats to block the rain What materials did they use to make the clothing? The women made most of the clothing they wore out of softened cedar wood or bark, animal leather, and wool

6. SHELTER What type of shelter did they build or reside? People of the Northwest Coast had to access food all year round so they could live in permanent settlements The people lived in 'Big houses' or longhouses which were 50-150 feet long and several families could live in one of these houses What type of materials did they use for their shelter? Cedar planks Cedar logs

7. TRANSPORTATION What forms of transportation did they use? The people were very skilled at navigating the waters of the Northwest Coast They built strong canoes for travelling on the Pacific Ocean, lakes, and rivers Transportation was used for the people to travel to potlaches, to go fishing, and in warfare What materials did they use to build their transportation? Cedar trees were used, sometimes they grew to 80 feet tall so they were good for carving into canoes

8. SOCIAL ORGANIZATION AND GOVERNMENT How were the members of the group divided or established? There society never had a democratic government, it was based on the wealth of clans Society has different classes which included commoners, nobles, and slaves They were divided by social units (extended families with a common ancestor) Who were the leaders and how were they chosen? The oldest and highest ranking individual in the family was named Chief of the family Families were ranked within each village The Chief of the highest ranking family became the village Chief Who had power and authority? The village chief had power and authority over the village The Chief of each family unit have power and authority in their family

9. SOCIAL ORGANIZATION AND GOVERNMENT How were decisions made for the group? Villages had chiefs and nobles who made decisions for the group The chiefs and nobles controlled all access to resource sites What ceremonies were performed? Potlaches (these are an outward sign of noble's status) These were hosted when big events took place, such as the birth of an heir, the death of a chief, or the beginning of a new home or totem pole

10. RELIGION What were their spiritual beliefs? Who or what did they worship? Their customs and beliefs were passed down orally (through stories, songs, and dances) They believed they were surrounded at all times by supernatural beings They believed spirits were connected to the living world Who were their religious leaders? Shamans Shaman's were believed to make sure there is enough food and cure the ill (it was believed that they could talk with the spirit world) Men and women could both be Shamans, but usually they were men What were the rituals or ceremonies? How were they conducted? Ritual dances (they showed the importance of each clan and communicated the legends of each clan) The dancers wore costumes and masks to represent the legends of the clan

11. WORKS CITED Works Consulted: "Aboriginal People: Northwest Coast." The Canadian Encyclopedia. Web. 02 June 2016. Cranny, Michael William. Crossroads: A Meeting of Nations. Scarborough, Ont.: Prentice Hall Ginn Canada, 1998. Print. "The Northwest Coastal People - Food / Hunting / Tools." The Northwest Coastal People - Food / Hunting / Tools. Web. 02 June 2016. "The Northwest Coastal People - Religion / Ceremonies / Art / Clothing." The Northwest Coastal People - Religion / Ceremonies / Art / Clothing. Web. 03 June 2016.