1. Peoples of the Northwest Coast By: Mikhael and Rhones Mae

2. Location
The Northwest Coast aboriginals lived on the west coast of British Columbia and some parts of Southern Alaska and Northern Washington State.

3. Environment
The environment that the Northwest Coast aboriginals mainly lived had moderate weather but mainly rained a lot.
The landscape that they lived in was very diverse and quite extreme in some cases. The different types of landforms are: Rugged Coastlines, Wide and Narrow beaches, Deep Fjords, Mountains, Spruce, Ceder, Fir Forests, Inland Rivers and Lakes, and Many islands.

4. Shelter
Since the Northwest Coast aboriginals had access to food year round they lived sedentary lives (Lived in one house the whole time)
Tlingit Longhouse
Haida Longhouse
They lived in longhouses or “bighouses” constructed out of cedar planks. Each house was around feet long and feet wide and was able to house several families.

5. Constructing the House
First they would build a large rectangular frame out of cedar logs. Afterwards they would use cedar planks and attached it to the logs in a overlapping pattern. They would use wooden pegs as a way to nail the wood together.
These longhouses did not have any windows within the building except there was only a hole in the roofs to let the smoke of fires out.

6. Clothing
The people of the Northwest Coast would wear very little clothing, except when it was very cold. During the warmer months, men would go naked, and women would only wear skirts made of skirts. The females made most of the clothing out of wool, animal leather, and softened cedar wood or bark.
When it becomes rainy they wear bark capes and hats made of spruce as protection against the rain. They would rather wear something that protects them from the rain instead of keeping them warm.
Haida Clothing

7. Clothing for Leaders
The Northwest Coast society was built on personal wealth and social status, so those who typically wore fancier clothes and jewelry were considered rich.
Chiefs, who are the highest ranking individuals wore a chilkat blanket, dance apron, leggings and mocassins.
Chilkat blankets are worn for special occasions and were woven from goat's wool and cedar bark, and then painted.
Chilkat Blanket

8. Spiritual/Literature Arts
Northwest Coast people associated music and decorative arts with both sacred and secular activities. Spirit helpers conferred songs, which were then used to transmit family and secret society traditions, often accompanying masked re-enactments of mythic events.
Coast Salish Mask
Rattle
There were songs for all occasions: soothing infants, playing games, expressing love and sorrow. The voice was the primary melodic instrument, although percussive devices, whistles and horns were used as accompaniment.

9. Decorative Art
Art is very important in Northwest Coast culture. There are two main “arts” in Northwest Coast culture.
These are: Basketry and Woodworking
Haida Cedar Bark Basket
Basketry
The Northwest Coast people used baskets for storage and trade.
Hats were important because they were used as protection from the rain
A. Haida cedar bark basket would have been used to collect clams.
B. Painting baskets(Tlingit basket).
C. Haida yellow cedar hat.
Haida Yellow Cedar Hat

10. Woodworking
Woodworking, particularly carving, was an art form passed down from generation to generation. They made totem poles, canoes, 'bentwood' boxes, sculptures, and masks.
A. Canoes- The art of carving canoes was passed down from father to son.
B. Boxes- Bentwood boxes were used to serve and store food, and were also common at ceremonial feasts.
C. Masks- Northwest Coast carved masks were an important part of all ceremonies.
Bentwood Box
Tlingit Yukatat Canoe

11. Languages
The languages of the Northwest Coast Native Americans included Chinookan, Athapaskan and Penutian languages. Penutian encompassed a large division of languages spoken in the Pacific northwest, near the Columbia River basin, including Chinookan, Tsimshianic and Utian.

12. Religion
In Northwest Coast culture, their customs, beliefs, and history were passed down orally through stories, songs, and dances.
They had stories about why certain things occurred, for example, the changes in season. There were also stories about each group and how they first appeared in this world.
Shaman
It was a Shaman's job to cure the sick, to ensure that there was adequate food, and to influence the weather. The belief was that they had the power to do all those things through an ability to communicate with the spirit world. The Shamans used their rattles to summon up powers from the spirit world.

13. Technology
Fishlines
Fishing:
For fishing they used nets, underwater traps, bone and wood hooks, and harpoons. They also used fishlines, which were made out of cedar.
Hunting:
For hunting they used bows and arrows, deadfalls, harpoons, and snares. They hunted animals such as deer, moose, bear, etc.
Tlingit Bow and Arrow

14. Woodcutting:
For woodcutting they used sledgehammers that were made out of stone to cut down the huge cedar trees that they use to make their longhouses, canoes, and .

15. Food
Coho Salmon
First Nations people have lived off of the land since time immemorial. They have been known as hunters and gatherers. The whole village would contribute to food gathering and preparation. Salmon is considered to be one of the most important food resources in the Northwest Coast. Other diet items include deer, moose, Eulachon, clams, crab, and berries. The food collected over the summer was distributed among the village members. Hunting and fishing is still a common practice among many of the First Nations.
Eulachon

16. Survival
The mild climate, fertile land and a large variety of natural resources that were are available to the Indian tribes made them adopt the hunter fisher culture shared by the other Northwest Coast Native Americans along the Pacific Coast. The section on the Northwest Coast Native Americans group provides facts and information about their languages. The animals and the Plants, Trees and Crops provided their food, clothing ,shelter and decorations .Their Homes and shelters are depended on the materials available to them and whether the home was temporary and permanent.

17. Who did what? Mikhael: Created PowerPoint Location Environment
Clothing
Shelter
Technology
Rhones Mae:
Language
Art
Religion
Survival
Food

18. Bibliography http://www.cabrillo.edu/~crsmith/noamer_nwcoast.html